The University of Texas at Arlington is introducing its first ever American Sign Language course. The offering supports the institution"s mission statement of embracing diversity and public service, as well as a longstanding commitment to"serving students with disabilities."

"The Dallas/Fort Worth area is home to a thriving Deaf community that considers itself to be a cultural and linguistic minority," said UTA professor Laurel Whitsett State Certified Sign Language Interpreter/Transliterator."This class will introduce students to this community"s rich history and language, adding an important dimension to UTA"s trendsetting"Disability Studies Minor."

Beginning American Sign Language 1 is offered in the Summer II term July 12 through August 15, 2016. This class is open to all UTA students. It fulfills language or culture course requirements for a variety of majors and also counts toward the Disability Studies Minor.

"Studying ASL will offer students crucial opportunities to assist an often underserved community in"fields such as social work, health care, psychology, education, and nursing," said director of the Minor in Disability Studies Program and associate professor of history Dr.Sarah Rose."Students with certain kinds of disabilities such as dyslexia,"learning a written"foreign language can be extremely challenging. Offering ASL at UTA makes"it far more feasible for them to do so."

For more information, contact Professor Laurel Whitsett at"[email protected].