Students in Massachusetts may get a new option to meet their language requirement for high school graduation.

State Senator Jake Oliveira has proposed legislation to add American Sign Language, or ASL, as an option for the language requirement needed to graduate. He told Western Mass News that the unspoken language is seen as a useful tool in communicating with children and those on the autism spectrum.

“This is modeled on basically what we do in public higher education, where American sign language is recognized as a course to meet your language requirements at our public higher ed institutions,” Senator Oliveira said.

We spoke with Jamie Hills, a Chicopee High School parent, who told Western Mass News that she would welcome ASL into the curriculum. She even said that her daughter is interested in learning.

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