"Celebrate ASL" Day in America

Printed in the Olathe News in September 2007

“Celebrate ASL!” Day in America
By Leonard Hall

Deaf schools, communities and organizations across America will be hosting “Celebrate ASL!” Day on Friday, September 28th, 2007. ASL is American Sign Language that is the primary language used by many deaf Americans.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) designated “Celebrate ASL!” Day on Friday, September 28th as part of the Deaf Awareness Week events and in observance of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) International Day of Sign Languages.

At the July 2007 World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, delegates overwhelmingly supported the creation of an International Day of Sign Languages. It is a celebratory event to be observed annually throughout the entire world during the last full week of September.

NAD was founded in 1880 when ASL in deaf schools and deaf communities across the country was under attack. NAD, state associations and deaf communities across the country have worked together to turn the tide.

ASL is reported to be the third most widely used language in America after English and Spanish. Many states recognized ASL as an official language and taught in public schools and universities across the country.

NAD and state associations, including Kansas Association of the Deaf, support the global objective of WFD, one of which specifically focuses on advancement of human rights for deaf people through sign languages. They advocate for the acquisition, learning, and use of ASL by everyone, and recognize ASL as the heart of the American deaf community.

Use of sign language by deaf people is a fundamental human right as many deaf people rely on sign language for communication. When authority attempts to take away sign language from deaf people in several parts of the world, it is taking away the deaf people right to communicate and live freely.

There are those who criticized or downplayed the use of ASL by deaf people across the country.

Why focus on the negative features of using ASL, where there are many positive features to point out to everyone? ASL is a true and beautiful language recognized by linguists across the world.

“Celebrate ASL!” Day is the day that deaf people across America can proudly show the public that ASL is a wonderful language to learn and use.

Kansas School for the Deaf will be celebrating ASL with students making posters of different color of sign languages, map of different countries with international “I Love You” symbols. Students will be wearing a black t-shirt or dress shirt to school.

There will be “Celebrate ASL!” events in Kansas City and Wichita.

In 1913, George Veditz, NAD President said, “As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs, the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.”

(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)