American Sign Language: The Impact it Made on Deaf People

American Sign Language, (ASL), is the language of the deaf in America. Evolving since the 1800s, ASL uses movements including hand gestures and facial expressions. It impacted deaf people’s quality of life, education, and access to services, enabling them to become proud of themselves. They crossed education frontiers and became successful in various careers. They crossed discrimination frontiers and advocated for their rights. It fostered a sense of belonging and made it possible to offer accommodations. ASL is more than 500,000 Americans’ native language, making it the third most common language after English and Spanish.