The American Sign Language (ASL) Bill - Session Law 154-2007

One Year Later

Pat Stivland

October 2008

The ASL Bill Committee took a giant step in 2004 that led to passage of the bill one year ago in June.   One year later, the committee remains active and has taken more steps forward.  The name has changed to the ASL Advisory Committee and it consists of three sub-groups; K-12; Public Schools, Community Colleges and the University of NC System. 

The committee has evolved into a think tank with a steady membership of 12-14 people.  The members meet in collaboration to share expertise, brainstorm ideas and make recommendations.  The biggest challenge of the year faced by the three sub-groups was and still is  the task of understanding the full license and lateral entry license requirements for teachers in North Carolina.  The groups found the task much more daunting in relation to the requirements for ASL instructors.  It is due to the lack of clear guidelines and protocol.  The committee is trying to close loop holes as they find them. 

Members of the committee participated in an endeavor to develop a standard ASL curriculum.  Because of this, we now have access to a valuable teaching resource.  It is titled, “Learning Outcomes for American Sign Language Skills Level 1 – 4” by Kim Brown Kurz, PhD and Marty N. Taylor, PhD.  This was made possible as a project under the auspices of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe #1 Board of Cooperative Education Services, Rochester, NY and in Partnership with the New York State Education Department of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities.  In addition, the NC Department of Public Instruction has developed a model ASL Curriculum specific to High Schools. 

An ASL Kit is being put together with talking points and essential information to assist committee members as they seek to persuade key education personnel to consider offering ASL courses for credit.  After approving the kit, the committee will take the next step to explore funding sources to pay for printing the kits for distribution.  At the time of the writing of this article, members are making key contacts to arrange future meetings.

One note of interest: as we explored the perceptions and attitudes toward ASL, we noticed a warm reception by the general public to the idea of teaching hearing children or babies sign language.  On the other hand, we also noticed an uneasy reception to the idea of having children who are deaf use sign language to communicate.

Newsflash:  A recent development brought excitement to the committee members.  Gardner-Webb University (GWU) has been approved by the state of NC to provide teaching licensure in ASL. GWU apparently is the first in the state to offer such course of study!  

The committee knows its job is a work in progress with set goals and a timeline for accomplishing them.  As a result of our meetings, our goals, to name a few, are to include ASL with other foreign languages such as Spanish or French to the language code for license, to develop and distribute an ASL Kit for key personnel and to create resources for ASL instructors and educational institutions.  We understand the value of having a support group where ASL instructors may exchange curriculum ideas and stay informed of new developments.

Having taken a giant step, the committee remains in motion with the quest to establish ASL as a viable and important language in the American way of life!