Students Discuss The Benefits Of ASL

— Ariana González, General Reporter

According to The National Center for Health Statistics, ASL school is senior Thomas Power. He feels that an ASL class would (American Sign Language) is used by an estimate of around benefit people going into a number of different careers. 500,000 people in the US and Canada. Also estimated by The “It would definitely be a help for people who would go into fields National Center for Health Statistics, about 10% of the country’s like speech pathology, or working in fields with children that are population (28 million Americans) disabled or are have at least a certain degree of deaf,” Power said. hearing loss. Power learned In a survey I sent out to Mandan High a bit of ASL from School’s students, while his sister. 57.3% of the people who “She learned it took the survey said they with her degree in did not know ASL, 89.2% college, so I know of the people who took the bits from her,” survey said they would like Power said. it if ASL was a class at our Being able to use school, which shows an ASL could prove interest in it as a class. to be a useful Sophomore Gabriela skill during a Martin’s interest in ASL conversation, and peaked while learning about Power believes people like Helen Keller. it is just as “I have always been important as any interested in it, ever since other language. I was 9 years old,” Martin “It might not said. “Once I researched come up as much about it more, I also realized as something that there was a need for it and it kind as Spanish in a of sparked that passion for learning it.” Photo by Pasco Schools from Creative Commons conversation, Martin is also currently but it would still learning ASL and is pretty Having an ASL class at school would pomote inclusiveness towards be important to fluent in it. “I can say I am able to have individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. know,” Power said. “I think it a solid conversation with will eventually someone in American Sign Language,” Martin said. come up in the future and it Martin feels very strongly about ASL being a class at our school would be nice to know it then.” and is completely for it. Another student’s perspective comes from freshman Omar Foley. “It would make daily life easier because we do not know how Foley’s reasoning for wanting an ASL class is inclusiveness. many people are in the deaf/hard of hearing community,” Martin “I think it would be something helpful to know to make our said. “You would be able to have a conversation with everyone.” community more inclusive,” Foley said. “Especially if there are Insensitivity and bullying is a common experience for people deaf people in our community, because I am sure there are people who are hard of hearing/deaf. By having an ASL class, Martin that are deaf in our community, even if I do not know any.” believes it will increase people’s understanding of the struggles Overall, with the amount of people in hard-of-hearing/deaf deaf/hard of hearing people go through. community, schools all over the country have implemented ASL “I feel like it would bring awareness and it would stop a lot of classes to help bring unity and understanding to the community. insensitivity towards people who are deaf or hard of hearing,” Having an ASL class at Mandan High School is believed to be Martin said. a good and useful class by 89.2% of the people who took the Another student who agrees with ASL being a class at our survey.