Acceptance of American Sign Language: An American Ground Swell

ACCEPTANCE OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE: AN AMERICAN GROUND SWELL Gary W. Olsen Executive Director, National Association of the Deaf Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express to t readers of this publication the National Association of the Deaf s (NAD) support ofthe current movement to have American Sign Language (ASL) academically accepted as a foreign/second language in high schools, colleges, and universities. The NAD welcomes publications such as this that continue to keep the issue before decision-makers. The movement to accept ASL throughout America is like a slow-building ground swell ofwater. It gains momentum as it swells and so is the acceptance of ASL. A word of caution, however, to the readers. A ground swell can be devastating if proper precautions are not taken. Without proper standardization of curriculum, instructor qualifications, and certification, this sudden spontaneity of acceptance of ASL can be devastating. ASL, as we know it today, could be drastically altered or lost. On behalf of the NAD, I thank the authors who have contributed so much of their time and energy to the investigation and promulgation ofAmerican Sign Language. @1988 by Linstok Press, Inc. 100 ISSN 0302-1475 see note inside front cover ...