Approximately 15% of adults in America report having difficulties hearing, despite this only approximately half a million people are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). 

It can be difficult to even find ASL classes, which often tips people off from learning it. However GEHS now offers an ASL club as one of the many clubs this year. The club’s sponsors are Jessica Gladbach, Katerine Beckley, and Ava Anderson.

The ASL club’s main goal is to give students the opportunity and environment to learn ASL. 

“None of us know ASL, American Sign Language, but it was started because all of us wanted an environment and a place to learn American Sign Language,” Gladbach said. 

The club’s goal is to be able to sign key phrases to be able to help communicate with others.

“I think that American Sign Language is something that you’re going to see a lot more commonly than necessarily, you know, Russian. It’s something that you’re going to run into a lot more, and I think it’s nice to learn in order to help others,” Gladbach said. 

The club is looking into getting speakers to talk with the members. 

“…I’m finding out a lot of people at the high school have parents that are deaf or siblings, and it’s actually apparently a lot more common than I would have previously thought in Gardener,” Gladbach said.

The ASL club meets on Thursdays in room 517 during seminar. New members are always welcomed, no matter if they know ASL or not.