On April 15, 2019, the opening of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut was honored through the naming of American Sign Language (ASL) Day. The opening of the American School allowed students and faculty from different backgrounds to communicate using Native American, French and Martha’s Vineyard signs. It was a recognition of both the Deaf community and ASL as a language.
We reached out to Case Western Reserve University’s American Sign Language (ASL) Club this past ASL Day to learn more about their club on campus and in the community. We spoke to president Trinity Goodloe (communication sciences and psychology major), and secretary Noemia Iordanescu (materials science and engineering major) to learn more about the club and their presence on campus.
Bridging the gap at CWRU
Inspired by the need to fill in the gap for learning ASL, the club’s members aim to create a lasting impact by promoting accessibility, inclusivity, and education around ASL and Deaf culture at CWRU. They believe inclusive spaces for students, connecting, and appreciating each other’s values and experiences will create a greater understanding and community.
In a group interview, Goodloe and Iordanescu shared that communication goes beyond spoken words—“ASL is one way of expression. It is an exceptional language with its own structure and rules.” 
The ASL Club promotes this feeling in their own meetings and events. Their atmosphere is very welcoming, inclusive and uplifting. Regardless of fluency, everyone is encouraged to learn. It is a place to foster more opportunities for awareness, peer tutoring, outreach, and building their social media presence.
The club is a space “where friendships are formed, voices and hands are heard, and everyone belongs,” Goodloe said.
Continuous progress
Through their events and awareness, the ASL Club hopes to challenge the misconception that Deaf and hard of hearing individuals can easily read lips, or that talking slowly will allow for easier communication. They recommend finding polite and self aware ways to communicate, such as writing or typing.
With enough money, the members hope to raise enough money to make emergency phones on campus more accessible by installing Sorenson Video Relay Services (VRS) and Sprint Relay-compatible systems. These resources would provide interpreting services between spoken word and ASL through video communication.
“Being Deaf is not something that needs to be fixed,” Iordanescu said. “It’s a unique identity and way of experiencing the world.”
Follow the ASL Club on Instagram and on CampusGroups for more updates on events and activities.