April 8, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
At Western, the American Sign Language program, with both the interpreting and studies major pathways, is a relatively large and impactful aspect of life at the university. Being the only place on the West Coast where one can pursue a bachelor’s degree in ASL, the program is comprehensive and exceeds the typical minor requirements at colleges like Oregon State University and Portland State University, which offer basic ASL language classes and exclude cultural training.
Offered in the spring, Western provides a Deaf history class, taught by Program Coordinator Brent Redpath — one of his favorite courses to instruct. “I, myself as a teacher, really enjoy providing and giving back to students. You know, my experience, personal life within deaf history, also just the actual history in general, connected with other people. It’s really nice to help the students understand where I’m coming from, where we’ve come from and why we have this class,” said Redpath.
The class has no prerequisites and offers interpreters, but is mainly picked — if not only picked — by ASL students. The class description states the class “introduces students to a history of the social, cultural, political, educational and social service aspects of the Deaf community.”
Redpath added: “Oftentimes students hate history because it’s boring, it’s dry, et cetera, but for this class specifically, I found that students really enjoy Deaf history specifically compared to general history like U.S. history or world history.”
Early within the ASL program, students are aware of Deaf culture as it is intrinsically linked to the language; discussions are prevalent surrounding historical events, such as Gallaudet University’s founding and Deaf President Now, a student-led protest that appointed the first deaf president at Gallaudet in 1988.
The first permanent school for the deaf was established April 15, 1817, now known as the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut. At its creation, it was titled The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons. It was the first deaf school in the Western Hemisphere — paving the way for the eventual founding of Gallaudet University April 9, 1864. Both institutions, founded in April, have helped cement the month as Deaf History Month.
Throughout history, and today still, deafness has been viewed in a negative light, and accessibility has been limited. Many still view deafness as a loss and do not recognize the Deaf community as an integral part of life for deaf people. Discussion surrounding deafness for hearing people often doesn’t explore the critical aspects, such as ASL’s independence as a language, the importance of sign language at a critical learning period for deaf children as to prevent language deprivation, mental health struggles and more — all of which are thoroughly explored in ASL courses at Western.
However, the use of ASL has climbed exponentially in modern America, and Deaf awareness has gone up as well, considering social media video formats, such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, allowing for accessible media access and community forums.
To put it straight: American Sign Language is its own language separate from English, with its own syntax, grammar and unique slang and vocabulary. Interestingly, ASL is closer to French Sign Language than British Sign Language, a common misconception considering American English’s relationship with British English. Deaf historical figure from France, Laurent Clerc, occasionally labeled “the Apostle of the Deaf in America,” joined Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet to establish today’s American School for the Deaf back in 1817, blending French sign language and local signs tied to no official language into ASL.
At those times, deafness was viewed similarly to mental illness, and resources to support deaf children were minimal or nonexistent. Despite the first school being founded in America to provide better accessibility, America was hit by a wave of oralism that dominated deaf education by the 1870s. Sign language was not recognized as a language and was viewed as lesser than spoken English, which led to educational institutions forcing spoken language on deaf children, highlighting lipreading and talking over signing. Alexander Graham Bell was a staunch supporter of oralism, believing that sign language imprisoned users and that deaf people should not be allowed to marry each other to prevent the genetic passing of deafness. Hearing people were horrified by the expressions used in ASL, which has the same level of importance as a spoken language’s tone, implying emphasis, limiting ASL usage further. Following the 1880 Milan Conference, where no deaf people were allowed to contribute, sign language was officially banned in schools and essentially banned altogether. It wasn’t until the 1960s that researchers determined ASL to be an official and independent language.
Portland, Oregon, hosts the Tucker Maxon School, an oralist educational institution still running today after its founding in 1947 — not utilizing sign language for its deaf students, despite research emphasizing that sign language is a critically important tool for deaf children.
Psychologically, deaf children develop best by experiencing language exposure in the format of ASL due to their inability to hear spoken language. A child that cannot hear can go months, often longer, before accessing spoken English through medical interventions such as cochlear implants, or purely lipreading and speaking — limiting brain development and potentially causing language deprivation, which can cause lifelong struggles with language, communication and, in severe cases, cognitive delays. Access to ASL does not limit a deaf person’s ability to integrate into hearing society or prevent the implementation of a cochlear implant at any age.
Even with facing continuous backlash, misinformation and agenda spreading, sign language persevered. It was shared in small spaces throughout its banning, maintaining communication in Deaf communities. Gallaudet University fought to preserve ASL following the 1880 conference, assisting heavily in the efforts to combat oralist perspectives and education.
Today, between 11 and 12 million Americans are deaf or have hearing loss. About 2 million are profoundly deaf, and around 1 million are a part of the Deaf community. More than ninety percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents, limiting language access. Today’s medical innovations, such as cochlear implants which can allow for hearing in profoundly deaf individuals, while beneficial for many and allow for integration into mainstream hearing society, can bypass sign language altogether — skipping a diverse and culturally rich environment with its own unique history.
Western’s deaf history class is a recommended elective option within the program and covers many influential aspects of deaf history from the very beginning. “Students who are studying ASL or students who are studying to become interpreters, they need that foundation of deaf history,” said Redpath. “It’s very important for them to have a better understanding of where deaf people have come from. And then also that will allow them to better support their future careers that they’re going into.”
Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu
