Parent urges Bellevue School District to add American Sign Language as a language offering to improve access for deaf students

A Bellevue parent called on the school board on Sept. 18 to add American Sign Language (ASL) as a language offering and to do more to reduce barriers faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Christopher Glover, who identified himself as the parent of a deaf student in the district, said his son had experienced bullying and physical incidents at school this year. Glover said the child misses verbal cues and “incidental learning” — the overheard conversations and sound-based cues that help students build friendships and classroom context — and that missing those cues has led to frustration among peers and social escalation.

Glover pointed to a commitment in the district’s 2024–25 annual plan, under a section called “We Belong,” to add ASL as a language offering. He said offering ASL would create belonging and empathy, support diverse learners through universal-design practices, strengthen literacy and open job opportunities where ASL skills are increasingly important. He said he and his wife had emailed the board seeking a status update on progress.

Glover asked the district to respond to families about next steps and implementation timelines so students with hearing differences and their families can rely on clearer plans for access and inclusion. The board did not make an immediate commitment in the public meeting transcript; the comment was entered during the public-comment portion of the agenda and marked for follow-up.

Glover said deaf and hard-of-hearing students can miss “up to 80% of incidental learning opportunities,” a figure he used to describe the scope of classroom access challenges. He asked that the board respond to the email he and his wife had submitted to the board and to clarify progress toward the ASL offering asked for in the 2024–25 plan.