A Deaf Adult Speaks Out

11. What Is Being Done for the Deaf

111 What Is Being Done for the Deaf Each year the American Annuals of the Deaf issues an updated directory of programs and services for the deaf. It is quite comprehensive , and lists thousands of programs now in existence for the benefit of deaf children and adults. I have no intention of repeating the list here, but I would like to mention, however, general trends of efforts to aid deaf adults, as contrasted with programs established by the deaf community itself and government-funded projects generated by those organizations which were mentioned in the chapter on the community of the deaf. Postsecondary Educational Programs Probably of interest to those concerned with deaf adults are postsecondary programs which have had recent and sudden growth. Currently , there are three programs offering full four-year collegiate work to deaf students. Gallaudet University Founded in 1864, this is the oldest postsecondary program for deaf students. It is located in Washington, D.C., scarcely a mile from the national Capitol. It offers a general liberal arts program, including a preparatory year to make it possible for deaf students from secondary programs to go through a transitional period if they should not be ready to begin regular collegiate work. It also offers graduate programs for both hearing and deaf students who wish to pursue master's and doctoral degrees. 103 104 IA DEAF ADULT SPEAKS OUT On the campus are also two exceptional programs which are subsidized by the federal government: the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. Both programs are mandated to try innovative methods in educating deaf children, with the expectation that the nation's schools for the deaf will eventually profit by using the most successful features of these methods. These two programs are also available for practicum work to Gallaudet students majoring in education and allied subjects. National Technical Institute for the Deaf Located on the campus of R.ochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, N.Y., NTID was established in 1968 and is partially federally funded, with a student population close to 1,200. It is filling a long-time need for a technical postsecondary program for deaf students. It offers training programs in technical fields such as art, printing, photography, business, computer science, engineering, and allied health and science careers. Multiple exit points are available options from certification to diploma and associate's degrees. Bachelor's and master's degrees can be earned also by cross-registration into any of RIT's other eight colleges. Deaf students who qualify for these programs receive support services. NTID has established a National Center on Employment of the Deaf which became operational in September 1979. It serves as a national service agency and authority on the employment of deaf people in the u.S. It coordinates the development of national job opportunities in partnership with other postsecondary institutions, rehabilitation agencies, and employers. The Center also provides information related to employing deaf persons, conducts active programs with errlployers on job analysis and job modification, and trains job placement professionals and employers who work with deaf persons. California State University at Northridge Formerly known as the San Fernando Valley State College, this institution started its work with deaf people with a Leadership Training Program for the Deaf, sponsored by a Rehabilitation Service Administration grant. Although this training program for administrative posts started with all hearing students, deaf applicants were later accepted. This was probably the first educational or training program not What Is Being Done for the Deaf I105 only to involve the local adult deaf community in its practicum work but also to welcome participation by deaf adults in various workshops and meetings. The university later expanded its program to include four-year collegiate work, teacher training, interpreter training, summer Master of Arts work, and short-term projects. The university also initiated Operation TRIPOD, which organized parents, deaf adults, and rehabilitation workers for effective action to improve existing programs for deaf children and adults. TRIPOD is now an independent program. In 1974, the National Leadership Training Program in the Area of the Deaf-Blind was started, but the funding ended after five years. The university was a pioneer in the training of interpreters and is now providing intensive training in order to meet the growing demands for skilled interpreters. Another area in which the university also pioneered was utilizing telecommunications, and now it has a...