2019 District of Columbia Code
Title 38 - Educational Institutions.
Chapter 24A - American Sign Language Recognition.
§ 38–2431. Findings.

Universal Citation: DC Code § 38–2431 (2019)

(a) American Sign Language (“ASL”) is one of the top 4 widely used languages in the United States and Canada.

(b) The District of Columbia has over 20,000 deaf and hard of hearing residents, many of whom use ASL as their primary language.

(c) ASL has met the accepted linguistic criteria to qualify as a legitimate language in that it has a system of arbitrary symbols, grammatical signals, syntax, has a community of users, and it has undergone historical changes.

(d) Two-thirds of state legislatures in the United States recognize and accept ASL as a bona fide language.

(Oct. 26, 2001, D.C. Law 14-50, § 2, 48 DCR 7952.)

Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. District of Columbia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.