Out of over 5,300 colleges and universities in the United States, only 38 offer courses or degrees in ASL, according to the World Atlas. Many students have to take a foreign language for their degree plan. While Spanish and French are great options for students, there has been a want for a sign language course, which ULM currently doesn’t offer.
Introductory sign language is important for many career paths. Speech-Language Pathologists work with hearing-impaired students to improve their quality of life. Social Workers often visit the homes of hearing-impaired families. Nurses might see patients who are hearing-impaired. Knowing American Sign Language is beneficial in all fields.
The ULM Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is partnering with Tracee Albert, the founder of Feel Seen and an occupational therapy graduate student, to host an introductory sign language workshop.
Albert’s business Feel Seen is an American Sign Language program “dedicated to bridging the gap between the hearing & deaf community.” Feel Seen offers sign language flash cards, workshops, transparent masks, and merchandise designed to bring more awareness to the deaf community.