A recent op-ed was published in the University of Maryland’s publication The Diamondback detailing the university’s lackluster selection of ASL classes. Junior student Vrisha Sookraj spoke about her initial excitement transferring from a small community college to a larger university specifically for the wider selection of classes that would be available to her. Unfortunately, ASL was not one of these classes. The university did not provide ASL classes beyond entry-level, and did not give students the ability to major or minor in the subject.
Sookraj isn’t the only student with this problem. The University of Southern California’s ASL club also voiced their issues with the way the school handles the subject in their publication Daily Trojan. In USC’s case, students are pushing for the subject to be recognized as a foreign language and to start an ASL program of their own. As it stands, USC only offers a 2-unit ASL course that does not count towards any foreign language requirement. Additionally, hearing students who are already fluent in ASL cannot use that knowledge to satisfy the foreign language requirement.
This lack of curricular variety results in students doing more work without fully reaping the benefits from it. The effects don’t stop in just the classroom, it also hinders the proliferation of a deaf culture on campus. “At [USC], I feel like deaf people don’t exist. I feel like I’m alone,” mentions Brittany Comenga, a graduate student at the university.
Much of deaf advocacy is focused on Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Groups are focused on limiting barriers that prevent deaf and hard of hearing from living independently. These are valuable things to focus on, as being independent tremendously improves quality of life for al disabled people. However, some studies have suggested that a sense of culture and community has an even greater impact on deaf people’s quality of life. A study conducted in 2000 found that “subjective QOL [was] related to social participation much stronger than to ADL’s or impairment,”(Dijkers, 2000). The ability to engage to the fullest with the surrounding community on an interpersonal level is crucial for deaf and hard of hearing people, one that many universities have overlooked.
According to U.S. News, only 38 universities in America offer ASL as a major. In a country with over 4,000 universities, this means deaf students have very limited options if they want to attend a school with any presence of a deaf community. Additionally, this means that ASL instructors have limited job prospects as well. The expansion of ASL programs throughout schools in America will not only benefit deaf students, but deaf working adults. Hard of hearing Adults with are more likely to have low income and be underemployed than hearing adults, and only a little over half of hard of hearing people were employed in 2017 (Garberoglio, 2019). More ASL programs being offered will provide a myriad of job opportunities to the hard of hearing community that cannot be found elsewhere, and help deaf students find community no matter where they go.
