A Note from the President
By Samuel J. Supalla
A Journey Through the Newsletter
As President, I find it worthwhile to review the content of this newsletter as one way of
understanding and validating SASL as an organization. When the first issue was put together in the
spring of 2016, I wondered if we would have trouble finding sources to fill it four times each year. The
newsletter's focus on ASL was unique for a publication, both inside and outside the deaf community.
With this being our sixth issue, my initial fears are clearly unfounded! I express the deepest gratitude
to our editor, Dr. Andrew Byrne for successfully organizing and releasing these informative
newsletters.
I now shift to what has emerged as the format for the newsletter. We will include two feature
articles per newsletter, with an in-depth discussion on each. Some past topics include the literacy of
ASL, the preservation and stewardship for ASL, and the value of ASL, for example. Some of these
pieces were written with an emphasis on a person's point of view and experiences, while others were
more neutral. I have come to believe that the inclusion of personal accounts helps humanize ASL as
a language. I emphasize that the topic of ASL and experience of signers is woefully absent in
mainstream publications. The traditional deaf community newsletters and those of deaf-related
organizations emphasize people who are deaf. The Power of ASL puts an emphasis on signers with
strong references to ASL. That is, socially conscious coverage of signing people emerges with
attention broadened to include hearing signers. This does not mean that deaf people's role
diminishes, rather their perspectives are enhanced with a clear agenda of linguistic accessibility and
support of ASL.
The uniqueness of The Power of ASL is reinforced by topics such as "Reprints from All Over
the Place". In this newsletter section, we see topics ranging from a report on Philadelphia's ASL
accent; a funding cutback for a school for deaf children; a sign language ban for a deaf girl; to the
coverage of a signing flight attendant. Special discussions on projects and video productions have
been made in the newsletter to highlight their emphasis on ASL and how stories should be told in
regard to signers. My own section called Signer's Perspective includes a signed commentary on
various scholarly publications. Subscribers of the newsletter find themselves not only reading in
English, but viewing in ASL as well. My intention of this piece is to magnify the research issues that
affect the lives of signers. With my President's Note, I have discussed why our journal needs to be in
English and what the concept of 'signers' entails, for example.
Dr. Byrne's Editor's Corner puts an emphasis on the historical aspects of ASL to help
counterbalance the newsletter's coverage of contemporary issues. For the first time ever, Alexander
Graham Bell's signing skills were researched and subject to discussion. Further coverage has
included the advance of ASL instruction through the work of Mr. Lou Fant, the hearing son of deaf
parents who had a long and diverse list of life accomplishments. Dr. Byrne's writing contributions help
provide the newsletter readers with a strong foundation, which is important for SASL as an
organization. I anticipate in the future that the newsletter will be subject to changes as needed and
may further evolve. With ASL being a central focus for the newsletter, The Power of ASL, has
become an electrically charged venue through all of your contributions and support.
The Power of ASL
10
Summer 2017 – Issue 6