Illinois State University’s (ISU) Department of Special Education (SED) is composed of passionate, dedicated future educators who value inclusion in all aspects of their life, with many students getting involved with the greater ISU community through Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). The Redbird Sign Language Association (RSLA) is an RSO dedicated to spreading and supporting a collective understanding of sign language, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community, and Deaf Culture at large. Members of the executive board and their faculty advisor, Instructional Assistant Professor Stephanie Lipe, shared their experience leading the organization this year.
RSLA, previously known as Deaf Redbird Association, changed their title in the spirit of including the entire campus community, regardless of DHH status. President Carlos Castro and Vice President Calla Donavon, in taking positions of leadership at the end of last year, decided that a name change was necessary. “I feel like a lot of people viewed our club as if it was only for Deaf people when we were named Deaf Redbird Association. Going into this school year with a new name was to encourage a wider variety of people to get involved, and communicate clearly that we are an inclusive sign language club,” said Donavon. “Do we teach about Deaf culture? Yes. Do we prioritize Deaf topics? Yes, but it’s not just for Deaf people, it’s for hearing individuals to come and learn sign language too.”
“I saw a lot of people here on campus wanting to learn sign language, but weren’t able to get connected with us because of how we previously marketed ourselves,” said Castro. “Changing our name gave us exposure on Redbird Life, and made more people feel comfortable joining our meetings.”
Lipe, who recently took up the role of advisor, said the change, “reflected a positive impact on student participation, and it was a perfect transition with new student leadership and a new advisor, boosting the overall image of RSLA.”
With the name change, Castro and the other members saw a dramatic increase in community interest and membership, “We had over eighty people show up to our first meeting this year, and we couldn’t fit them all in the room. It was so crowded that we ran out of chairs, and since then we have moved buildings to make room for all our members. Going from my first DRA meeting with twenty to thirty students to now, where the board and I had to find a new space big enough to fit all of the new members was super cool to see.”
“It was rejuvenating, and I praise my team with their efforts in recruiting and spreading awareness about RSLA,” said Lipe of campus’s renewed interest in the group.
Of their expanding demographic, Donavon added “I know in past years it’s been mainly Deaf Education majors, but we have Communication Sciences and Disorders majors, music therapy majors, and all kinds of other students from across campus on our board and in our club. It’s amazing to work with them because they help stay connected with the different programs at ISU, which we hadn’t done before.”
Alongside Donavon and Castro, fundraising chairs Zoe Nelson and Kayla Blomquist are organizing events to make RSLA a valuable contributor to the ISU community. During the fall semester, the group facilitated a series of fundraisers going toward their own goals in enriching the local Deaf community and their connection to ISU. Of their efforts, Nelson shared, “I’ve really enjoyed getting our members to not only go out and interact with Deaf people through events and fundraising, but to be immersed in different experiences by working to bridge the gap between campus and the broader Deaf Community.”
“Doing fundraisers where we’re selling something or hosting an event means we are giving back to people outside of the club and outside of campus,” said Blomquist. “We get to share more about our club through community outreach and engagement, and in raising money to promote Deaf Culture and sign language we are getting so many other people involved in our work.”
This year, the group has been laser-focused on getting the entire campus community invested in RSLA’s work spreading sign language and Deaf Culture, which has largely been a success. During Homecoming this fall, the students lead the stadium in signing the National Anthem, as well as joining in on the parade.
“It was just the most amazing experience, getting the whole club together to not only learn the signs, but to do it in front of so many people,” said Blomquist. “It’s incredible to say that we were able to do that.”
This year, the group has been laser-focused on getting the entire campus community invested in RSLA’s work spreading sign language and Deaf Culture, which has largely been a success. During Homecoming this fall, the students lead the stadium in signing the National Anthem, as well as joining in on the parade.
“It was just the most amazing experience, getting the whole club together to not only learn the signs, but to do it in front of so many people,” said Blomquist. “It’s incredible to say that we were able to do that.”
The students have organized and hosted further events to connect the hearing and Deaf communities in Bloomington-Normal. Last spring, the group celebrated Deaf Awareness Week with the DHH students at Thomas Metcalf school by volunteering in the classroom to sign a story and selling ASL bracelets and Deaf Culture Canvases to the students during their lunch hour. This year, the board has organized and hosted open-caption movie nights for members, and attended the local silent dinners to engage with the DHH and signing community.
“It’s my job to find ways of connecting us or hosting events with the Deaf community outside of our campus,” said Nelson. getting that involvement out into the Community. “Connection with the Deaf community is how you learn more and ultimately get better at signing, and that’s one aspect of my role and RSLA that I have really enjoyed.”
As advisor, Lipe is dedicated to supporting these outreach projects, “My goal is to seize every opportunity to get our name out there and spread awareness about Deaf Culture, and to empower our students to increase inclusivity and accessibility by teaching sign language to anyone on campus and our Bloomington-Normal community.”
“It is my duty to be a mentor, motivator, and a sounding board for these students,” she continued.” Students who join RSOs learn core competencies and valuable skills like teamwork, collaboration, conflict-resolution, commitment and leadership. By providing them 100% of my energy and time, I’m instilling these core values as they get involved with this organization that they are so passionate about, helping them grow student engagement across campus.”
“I want to support tomorrow’s student leaders in creating a better future for themselves, and to create a sense of belonging where they feel inspired and excited about our mission to promote Deaf Culture and sign language. My goal is to model behavior that is geared towards success, to celebrate these milestones from time to time, and to show appreciation for the hard work they have accomplished thus far.”
RSLA meetings are held on Monday evenings from 8-9 in the Center for Visual Arts, Room 149. All students are welcome to attend. Additional sign language practices for beginners are provided at the same place and time on Wednesday evenings. For more information about RSLA, students can connect with their Facebook, Instagram and Redbird Life pages.
