About ASL
American Sign Language is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is expressed by facial expression as well as movements and motions with the hands.
ASL originated in the early 19th century in the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in West Hartford, Connecticut, from a situation of language contact. Since then, ASL use has propagated widely by schools for the deaf and Deaf community organizations. Despite its wide use, no accurate count of ASL users has been taken. Reliable estimates for American ASL users range from 250,000 to 500,000 persons, including a number of children of deaf adults.
Here on ASL101.org, you can learn ASL for FREE in order to communicate with these people and increase the general awareness of ASL!
Resources
California State University Northridge, Deaf Studies
NCOD provides communication access, leadership opportunities, scholarships, and direct communication classes for approximately 150 students who are deaf and hard of hearing each year. Registering with NCOD allows students to receive access services such as interpreting, speech-to-text transcription, note-taking, tutoring, and academic advisement as well as priority registration. Prospective and current deaf & hard of hearing students can find detailed information on this website. NCOD's students can take advantage of a variety of social and leadership opportunities such as Deaf CSUNians, a student organization that provides cultural, political, and social awareness opportunities for its members, the campus, and the community. NCOD's influence reaches far beyond campus. Resources are available for service providers, professionals, families, teens, alumni, and managers. Check our website for details and resources.
National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. Established in 1880, the NAD was shaped by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more – improving the lives of millions of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. The NAD also carries out its federal advocacy work through coalition efforts with specialized national deaf and hard of hearing organizations, as well as coalitions representing national cross-disability organizations. On the international front, the NAD represents the United States of America to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), an international human rights organization. Individual and organizational membership makes it possible for the NAD to ensure that the collective interests of the American deaf and hard of hearing community are seen and represented among our nation’s policy makers and opinion leaders at the federal level. The NAD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by the generosity of individual and organizational donors, including corporations and foundations.