Growing up, my mother had dreams of becoming an ASL interpreter. Although she never got the chance to follow through with those plans fully, the passion for ASL lived on through the signs she could remember and kindly taught me. These early lessons ignited a spark in me to become more fluent in American Sign Language and continue the journey my mother began.

ASL is a beautiful, complex language that allows thousands of people to communicate, and yet, it is often inaccessible to those willing to learn due to high costs and lack of resources. Duolingo has revolutionized language learning by offering free courses and making languages accessible on a global scale. Unfortunately, ASL is not currently available on this platform, leaving a significant gap in language accessibility for many individuals like myself who wish to learn it.

Being able to learn ASL for free on Duolingo would not only honor my mother's passion but also empower countless others. There are over 70 million deaf people worldwide, and ASL is a vital means of communication for many. Increasing access to ASL education on a widely used platform like Duolingo could foster greater empathy and understanding across diverse communities.

Investing in the inclusion of ASL at Duolingo aligns perfectly with the platform's mission of breaking down language barriers. It is a realistic goal given the platform's existing infrastructure and success with offering other languages, including ones less known than ASL. With the support of linguistic experts and the inclusion of Deaf educators in this endeavor, Duolingo has the potential to make a profound impact on the accessibility of ASL education.

Join me in urging Duolingo to add ASL as a free course by signing this petition. Together, we can make language learning inclusive and give everyone the opportunity to communicate with and understand one another better. Let’s create a world where ASL is accessible to all. Please sign this petition and share it with your friends and family. Thank you for your support.