West campus news Releases Archive

ASU lifelong learning program offers American Sign Language class in Sun City

Sep. 12, 2005

Imagine a world in which you could hear, but both of your parents could not. What do you do? How do you help?

For Jim Harmonson of Surprise, the options were obvious. Born to deaf parents, Harmonson learned to sign and oralize simultaneously in order to communicate with his family. By the age of three, he was acting as interpreter for both parents. Raised in the Los Angeles area, Harmonson remembers his parents installing a telephone so that he could be contacted to help other deaf people that needed interpreters or assistance. Harmonson’s lifelong interest in the deaf community motivated him to become involved by teaching deaf children at the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, as well as classes for parents and grandparents of deaf children in Nevada. He also supervised a group home for deaf and disabled young men.

Harmonson now takes on a new endeavor as an instructor of American Sign Language (ASL) this fall in Sun City for the Osher Lifelong Institute at Arizona State University. Harmonson’s sign language class is just one of more than 80 lifelong learning classes that ASU is bringing to the Sun City communities.

One of the many things Harmonson hopes is that his students will learn that deafness is not necessarily a disastrous situation. “While one of the senses has been removed, the body gives the deaf person heightened awareness to the other senses,” Harmonson contended. He also will demonstrate that sign language is visually based. “It is as if you are drawing a picture to the person to whom you are communicating,” he stated.

For registration and class information, call the local ASU lifelong learning office — Sun City (623) 974-6985, Sun City Grand (623) 546-7429 and Sun City West (623) 584-4288 — or visit online at: www.west.asu.edu/lifelong/osher.

The Osher Lifelong Institute at Arizona State University serves residents in Sun City, Sun City Grand and Sun City West. A recent grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation allows ASU to expand and enhance its lifelong learning programs to serve residents across the Valley. The Osher Foundation collaborates with universities nationwide to offer intellectually stimulating learning opportunities for older adults.

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