|
HCR5 does
basically two things:
(1)
recognizes American Sign Language as the first or native language of
many deaf and hard of hearing
citizens of Missouri, and
(2) urges
the Governor to establish by executive order an annual "Deaf
Awareness Week" to be held in
September of each year to coincide with the International Deaf
Awareness Week, at which time the
language, culture, and contributions of Missouri's deaf and
hard of hearing citizens will be recognized.
At the request of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf,
Representative David Reynolds introduced HCR5
on January 10, 2002, and it was "Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed"
by the Missouri General Assembly
on May 3, 2002. The final vote in the House was 148 "Yes" and 0
"No," and the final vote in the Senate
was 25 "Yes" and 0 "No." The resolution has been sent to the
Governor for his consideration and possible
future action.
It is with great pride that the Missouri Commission for the Deaf has
advocated for this public recognition of
American Sign Language as the native language of many deaf and hard
of hearing Missourians, and for the
establishment of an annual Deaf Awareness Week. We sincerely
appreciate the work that Representative
Reynolds and his staff put into this effort, and we are extremely
grateful for the support which we have
received for this effort from Missourians who are deaf and hard of
hearing..
A complete text of the resolution is appended.
____________________________________________
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5
91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Whereas, American Sign Language (ASL) has been appropriately
recognized by the Missouri General
Assembly as "a fully developed, autonomous, unique, visual-gestural
language with its own syntax, rhetoric,
grammar and morphology" (Section 209.285, RSMo); and
Whereas, there are an estimated 546,000 persons in Missouri who are
deaf or hard of hearing, of whom
approximately 10,000 have American Sign Language (ASL) as their
first or native language; and
Whereas, the Missouri General Assembly truly values the socio,
cultural, ethnic, and liguistic diversity of its
citizenry:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of
Representatives of the Ninety-first General
Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein,
hereby recognize American Sign
Language as the first or native language of many of its deaf and
hard of hearing citizens; and
Be it further resolved that the members of the House of
Representatives of the Ninety-first General Assembly,
Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge
the Governor to establish by executive
order an annual "Deaf Awareness Week" to be held in September of
each year to coincide with the International
Deaf Awareness Week, at which time the language, culture,
contributions and diversity of Missouri's deaf and
hard of hearing citizens, including both the oral deaf and the
signing deaf, will be recognized; and
Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of
Representatives be instructed to prepare
a properly inscribed copy of this resolution for Governor Bob
Holden. |
