For the first time at the University of Washington, an American Sign Language (ASL) course will be offered starting in autumn 2007.

The UW ASL club, ASUW and Disability Advocacy Student Alliance (DASA), among others, have worked hard endorsing and lobbying for an ASL course to be taught at the University.

"ASL satisfies a need at this University for diversity," said computer science professor Richard Ladner, ASL club advisor.

"Envisioning this program in the future, there will be this visible thing going on around campus that is different than our regular way of speaking."

The UW accepts ASL as a foreign language for entrance and graduation purposes, however, it has never offered an ASL course before. Students who wish to take ASL for their foreign language requirement have to attend classes at community colleges for transfer credit.

The UW did not accept ASL as a foreign language credit for the admissions and graduation requirements until the 1980s, Ladner said.

The ASUW has passed two resolutions in support of the development of an ASL program at the UW.

ASUW President Cullen White has worked closely with Ladner and linguistics professor Sharon Hargus in support of the program and demonstrating to the administration that student demand for this program is present.

An ASL program is important not only for students who are already here, but also in creating a more accessible community at the UW, White said.

Together with Hargus, Ladner put together a proposal for an ASL program, which was submitted to the linguistics department and the UW administration in May 2005, in addition to letters of support from students, faculty, deans and people outside the UW community.

Finally, in early 2007, the program was approved.

As to why ASL has not been offered before, Provost Phyllis Wise said the administration wished to make sure there was a sufficient demand before starting the program.

"Faculty have to believe that it's an important academic program," she said.

The program will be tested during the next three years before expanding further, Wise said.

"We are really excited to be able to launch this program [and] hope to see it grow," she said.

In addition to conducting a national search for a lecturer, future goals for the program are to obtain permanent funding and to expand to the graduate level as well.

Ladner has received inquiries about the lecturer position from potential teachers from all around the country, all of who are deaf, he said.

"If you have a deaf faculty member, you might have more deaf students," Ladner said.

Patty Liang, the lead student representative and founder of the ASL club, estimated she has only met eight other deaf students at the UW.

"There are times where I don't even sign at all for few days since there is nobody to talk with," Liang said.

The importance of offering an ASL class is that the Deaf community at the UW will be strengthened, Liang said.

"UW students can develop a better rapport among themselves rather than spread out to community colleges and not know anybody from [the] UW who knows sign language," she said. "As a deaf person, I'll be thrilled that people are interested to learn my language."

Reach reporter Sonia McBride at news@thedaily.washington.edu.