SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2005 – 09:22
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) college students face different challenges today than in years past. Because of the passage of laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, those students are allowed to attend practically any school they want, with the right to equal communication access. That has resulted in a wide dispersion of students into schools that have never worked with the D/HH before. Often, conflicts will arise because the school has limited knowledge and experience in the area of deafness, and does not accommodate the D/HH student properly. This is also complicated by the fact that students aren’t always aware of their rights and options and how to negotiate effectively. The big question is, how can we educate both students and schools, and avoid those conflicts?
Project 3R (Role, Rights, and Responsibilities of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students) can answer that question! This project’s purpose is to develop a curriculum for educating and training college students to become leaders in the future and advocates for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Educating those students will result in a ripple effect, where each teacher and staff they come in contact with will learn something from the experience and be better prepared the next time they encounter a D/HH student. Project 3R recently completed the development of this curriculum, which is now ready for distribution. The curriculum includes two phases:
- Phase I: This comprehensive training program covers topics ranging from legal issues, advocacy, effective writing, and problem solving. These topics are separated into a series of 11 modules, including pre and post tests, writing exercises, and informative readings. The students participating in the training will first complete the 11 modules online then undergo on-site training lasting two days. The on-site training provides them with an opportunity to discuss in depth the information included in the modules, and perform role playing exercises.
- Phase II: After participating in the on-site training, the students will be ready to conduct a series of one-hour training sessions upon request at both their own institution and at other postsecondary institutions. Specialized materials are available for three different possible audiences: faculty, administrators, and students.
The curriculum was developed based on input from faculty, administrators, and students from around the country, along with feedback from hands-on testing. Fifty students, mostly from the “big three” – California State University, Northridge, Gallaudet University, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology participated in Phase I testing. They provided valuable input in how to improve the training of student leadersprogram. During Phase II, a number of those students went to a variety of postsecondary institutions to test the one-hour training sessions. One interesting observation made during Phase II was that faculty and administrators reacted enthusiastically to our students, and took advantage of the opportunity to get input directly from the students on how to resolve a variety of issues they’ve encountered with D/HH students.
The curriculum is available on paper, multimedia CD-ROM, and online. The paper copy and CD-ROM are available free of charge. To obtain your copy, contact us via email or phone and we’ll be more than happy to send you one!
Until December 16, 2005:
Email: 3r@csun.edu
Phone: (866) 621-2933 (V/TTY)
After December 16, 2005:
Email: prc@csun.edu
Phone: (818) 677-2099 (V/TTY)
The 3R website has information specifically for faculty and administrators who are new to working with D/HH students. It includes a quick reference guide with a compendium of tips, strategies, and other relevant information. Go to our website at http://3r.csun.edu, and click on either the Faculty or the Administrator link.
The Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Project is a three year federal grant funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. The grant expires December 31, 2005. If you’re interested in finding out more about the 3R project, check out our website at http://3r.csun.edu or call (818) 677-2099 (V/TTY).
California State University, Northridge (CSUN) has the largest mainstream program for deaf and hard of hearing students in the western U.S. Over 32,000 students attend CSUN and more than 200 of them are deaf or hard of hearing. Founded in 1962, the National Center on Deafness has provided student services, outreach and research facilities to and for deaf and hard of hearing CSUN students successfully for over forty years. NCOD strives to help meet the educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students by making all university programs and services fully accessible. For more information on NCOD, check http://ncod.csun.edu or call (818) 677-2611 (V/TTY).
Project 3R would like to thank the following institutions for hosting training sessions and for their assistance and input: Camden County Community College (NJ), Johnson County Community College (KS), Los Angeles Pierce College (CA), Montgomery College (MD), Ohlone College (CA), Santa Rosa College (CA), The University of Minnesota, and Utah Valley State College.