The Department of American Sign Language / Interpreter Training in cooperation with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, views individuals who are Deaf as a cultural minority. Instead of having a deficit or deficiency, we believe that members of the Deaf Community are members of a group who are culturally and linguistically unique with their own customs, norms and mores. We believe that American Sign Language is a language. We understand that Deaf persons have experienced discrimination and oppression, and join them in striving for equal participation in all aspects of society.

We also believe that it is important for those people who work with Deaf individuals be fully knowledgeable of the culture and language of the Deaf Community. We believe that respect for both cultural and individual differences is essential as well.

We believe that interpreting is a profession that should value linguistic competency, high professional ethics, and high personal standards, and that interaction with members of the Deaf Community is essential in fully attaining these goals.

There are some basic guidelines that you will be asked to follow as a participant in this program.

1. Enter this program with a positive and supportive attitude towards others! We will discourage participants from developing an attitude that is demeaning, presumptuous, or reflects an inflated sense of self worth.
   
   
2. Talking aloud in class is not allowed unless sanctioned by your instructor. The acquisition of a visual-gestural language is done so with the eyes, not the ears.
   
   
3. Telling other students what the instructor is signing in class will not be tolerated. This is especially important if you have a Deaf instructor. You do a disservice to your instructor and to your classmates by voicing what the instructor is so earnestly trying to communicate in signs.
   
   
4. Asking others to tell you what the instructor is signing is also discouraged. By doing so, you put your classmate in the untenable position of violating a program policy. Acquiring a visual-gestural language takes time, and as with every language, acquisition occurs at different rates amongst different people.
   
   
5. When unsure of what the instructor is signing in class, please refrain from any vocal expressions of frustration. This is very distracting to other students and is counterproductive to you learning the language.
   
   
6. The instructor must sign at a speed optimal for learning. If you continue to have difficulty with what the instructor is signing, discuss alternate ways of learning with the instructor. Do not ask the instructor to repeatedly slow her/his presentation in class.
   
   
7. Remember that there is more than one way to sign a particular concept. You will see a wide variety of signing styles amongst Deaf people with whom you may associate in the future. The variety and diversity that one finds in ASL usage should be treated as a fascinating feature of a living language. (Woodward, Ertring, and Oliver, 1976.)
   
   
8. Language is an expression of one's culture. Deaf people use a language that has no written format and often have difficulty with written English. What would be considered grammatically incorrect in written English may be grammatically correct in ASL. Respect the Deaf person's language and the inherent difficulties people encounter with English as a Second Language.
   
   

**We are pleased that you are considering a career in this field. We take a great deal of pride in our program and all that it has to offer. We will do all that we can to help you attain your goals! Welcome!