There are next to no choices when it comes to secondary languages you can take in high school, and being that taking a second language is mandatory for graduation, there should be a wider selection. American Sign Language is a way for students of Wake County if not everywhere to be able to communicate with those that are hard-of-hearing and deaf. Not only is it a reasonable option for students, but it would be in high demand. It is an amazing skill for current and future high school students to learn. There are more than enough ways to build curriculums around ASL, and a well put together curriculum is an excellent opportunity for students to work together and to gain leadership skills with endless projects and activities. We are starting this petition because we have recently started an ASL club in our highschool, and its going extremely well. We believe that every student should have a chance to learn and understand how to sign. Teaching high school students how to communicate with those hard-of-hearing can make a huge difference. It will open up the mind to a lot of students who would never consider talking to somebody that was different than them, and will be influential to so many people when they hold a conversation with somebody without using their voices. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) states that about 17 percent of U.S citizens are hearing impaired. If more people could sign and everybody (regaurdless of their hearing) could come together and be able to share their ideas, the world will be better for everybody involved.