Students in the ASL classes recently participated in Deaf Day, which is a day of Deaf inclusion to celebrate Deaf culture and the beauty of sign language. According to ASL 1 teacher Mikayla Wappler, International Week of the Deaf is celebrated globally to recognize achievements of Deaf people.

Students who participated in Deaf Day wore earplugs and were not allowed to speak verbally as part of their assignment.

The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an organization composed of 130 national associations of the deaf that serves to improve the human rights of deaf persons, status of national sign languages, and access to education and information technology. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) represents the Unites States as part of the WFD. The WFD encourages its affiliates to celebrate by focusing on the theme of human rights; to give greater attention to Deaf culture, portrayed in a positive way, and increase solidarity among deaf people and their supporters. 

Wappler said she believes that students will receive both positive and negative feedback for signing, the same type of responses Deaf people receive every day. She said some students may find ASL interesting and want to learn but some may find it to be annoying; she also said that both herself and Danielle Frazier, ASL 2 teacher, participated in this with their students on both days. 

“This day is about understanding differences and hardships for each culture,” Wappler said. “It poses the question ‘can Deaf people function the same as hearing people?’ and it broadens peer acceptance. I hope students realize that Deaf people are capable functioning people, and they deserve to be treated as such. I want students to understand the hardships Deaf people continuously face today in a hearing world.”