American Sign Language

- ASL was offered at 119 colleges and universities as of 1999.
- ASL class enrollments rose from about 4,000 in 1995 to more than 11,000
in 1998
- Nearly 8 million Americans reported "difficulty hearing a conversation",
according to a Census Bureau Survey.
- The American Sign Language Teachers' Association has certified 225
teachers and has applications from about 125 more.

Source: Modern Languages Association as reported by CNN.com/Education on
5/13/02

Instructor: Fred Farrior

Fred Farrior, born deaf, holds a BA from the Oregon College of Education in 1983 and a MA from Western Oregon University in 1987.  He taught at the Oregon School for the Deaf for 28 years, as well as in the Lane Regional Program Cyber School (ASL online courses) for 3 years, until his retirement in 2003.  He currently teaches ASL classes at WOU, South Salem High School, and Linfield College.  Fred has served as a Board member of the Confederation in Oregon for Language Teaching (COFLT) and worked closely with the Oregon Legislature regarding passage of legislation in 1995 granting acceptance of ASL in meeting foreign language requirement in Oregon’s public schools.