For the past 34 years, Venado has been home to a regional Deaf and Hard of hearing (DHH) program which serves DHH students who live all over Orange County. Although the program is housed on the Venado campus, it is funded and supported by the Orange County Department of Education. For the 2020-2021 school year we are proud to welcome 32 students to our campus. Each month, this portion of Venado’s newsletter will inform you about things happening within the DHH program, and give some fun facts about Deaf Culture or American Sign Language. American Sign Language (ASL) is offered as an elective course for hearing students as a way to foster interaction amongst the hearing and Deaf students as well as the many Deaf staff members on campus.
Fun Fact #1: American Sign Language is NOT based on English. It is a completely separate and UNIQUE language, with its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. ASL is the 3rd most widely used language in the United States, after English and Spanish.
~ Janet Dicker, DHH Teacher and Site Liaison