You might have seen the posters in the hallways or have been a witness to one of the American Sign Language 2 (ASL) classes performing their songs in the cafeteria. The posters and songs are a product of Karen Colvin’s ASL classes and are annually displayed the last week of September, International Week of the Deaf. This week is recognized throughout the country and raises awareness to the deaf community and the importance of communication.

Indiana alone is home to 98,209 people with little to no hearing capabilities. Hamilton Southeastern being only 18 miles away from the Indiana School for the Deaf. This school is a hub of the deaf community and several HSE students have gotten the chance to attend its events and experience a true immersion in the deaf culture. Awareness is key and that is what Colvin hopes to achieve by putting the posters and songs on display for the school to see.

“The posters in the hallways are about famous deaf people over the centuries that have helped further education,” Colvin said. “Doing things like songs in the lunchroom brings awareness to how beautiful the language is and how you can communicate through that with all the deaf people in the community.”

With an approximation of 4,022,334 deaf people in the United States, only an estimated 2,000,000 people know sign language. This lack of people who understand ASL has led to an increase in the discrimination of the deaf community. It is the hope of Colvin and many of her students that people will begin to realize that just because you are deaf does not mean that you do not deserve equal rights. Colvin strives to bridge this gap of misunderstanding and create a place where both the deaf and hearing communities can thrive alongside each other. It is for this reason that Colvin invites friends from the deaf community to ASL club events where students can receive first-hand experience communicating with the deaf.

“The deaf community is starting to see that we can all come alongside [each other] and be connected together through this language,” Colvin said. “Hopefully that will continue to expand as more of my students can get out into the community and meet more deaf people.” 

Sources: http://libguides.gallaudet.edu