American Sign Language now considered foreign language in Va. high schools
A battle over whether American Sign Language can satisfy as a foreign language requirement in Virginia high schools has now come to an end, LoudounTimes.com reports.
Virginia students will now be able to take ASL classes, which will constitute as a foreign language thanks to House Bill 1435, a piece of legislation that will put ASL on the same level as the other foreign languages.
Students at Loudoun Valley High School convinced Delegate Richard Bell (R-20), who is also a former special education teacher, to sponsor the bill.
There was a little back and forth with the language of the bill, and Gov. Bob McDonnell had it sent back to change before he would sign the bill. On April 8, he signed it, and it will take effect on July 1.
“I think the most important thing about the bill’s passage is the fact that it improves access to higher education for a lot of people,” Bell said. “It breaks down barriers between cultures, and it improves the ways we can communicate.
READ THE FULL STORY at LoudounTimes.com
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