Drew University offers a wide variety of foreign language classes including Spanish, Chinese, French and Italian. The school also used to offer Russian and Arabic, but in recent years, they have been considered for termination due to a massive decline in participation. Now would be the perfect time to introduce a new language that would ensure the diversity of the language department while receiving the engagement that Arabic and Russian did not.
American Sign Language is an excellent option. According to NJ Spotlight News, there is an “estimated population of 850,000 Deaf New Jersey residents.” Comparably, the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities states that there are “over 175,000 deaf residents living in New York City alone.” The Deaf community is often overlooked or forgotten. Including ASL classes would spread awareness about the Deaf community and create a new inclusive perspective for students.
The majority of students at Drew take a language course for the sole purpose of completing one of their general education requirements. Some students, however, have the desire to learn a different language or culture and take them on as majors or minors. It is not too far off to assume that some students take up an undesired language class because the one they want is not available.
Language courses are meant to encourage inclusivity. They allow students to branch out in their studies and learn ways to communicate with other communities. The Deaf community should not be an exception—students should be encouraged to learn ASL just like any other language.
According to the National Deaf Center, “Sign languages are complex, natural languages, with their own grammar, vocabulary, and dialects. There is no universal sign language; countries and regions around the world have their own signed languages. In the United States, American Sign Language is the most frequently used.”
ASL would be a beneficial class to teach students, along with the fact that it is an intriguing, distinct language.
Joey Ricciardi (‘26) opted to take ASL in high school instead of Spanish or French because he was truly interested in learning it. When he found out that Drew did not offer the class, he was disappointed. Although he had no motivation to learn it, he decided to take Spanish instead.
We strongly believe that students would be interested in taking ASL if it was offered as a class at Drew. “Sign language is unique and stands out because it is a nonverbal language as opposed to other languages,” said Ricciardi. “I believe it’s important and should be taught here at Drew because other diverse languages are offered here, and it can be useful when it comes to being connected in a socially disadvantaged community.”
Ricciardi does not mean that the Deaf community is disadvantaged for being deaf. In fact, he is revealing something incredibly important about society: a major disadvantage that the Deaf community faces is that people are unwilling or unable to learn how to communicate with them. This makes everyday life more difficult for everyone, as most people do not know ASL and cannot interact with people within the Deaf community. Unlike other languages, sign language can be found within all cultures in any area of the world.
Although not universal, ASL can allow people to communicate with the Deaf community anywhere in the United States.
American Sign Language should be offered at more schools and universities in general. The Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing stated that “approximately more than a half-million people throughout the U.S. use ASL to communicate as their native language. ASL is the third most commonly used language in the United States, after English and Spanish.” With a large proportion of the United States communicating with American Sign Language, it is necessary to provide students with an opportunity to learn the language.
Drew should offer this class not only because it would interest students, but also because the course would greatly improve the way in which people at Drew can engage with the Deaf community and promote diversity and equity on and off campus.
Lindsay Orr is a sophomore majoring in psychology with a minor in philosophy.
Dee Cohen is a sophomore majoring in English with a concentration in literature, and a minor in French.
Featured image courtesy of Pexels.com.
