Deaf Initiative in Information Technology II (DIIT II)

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This 3-year project is the second phase of the DIIT project funded in 1999 (DUE-0070982). It is intended to: (1) address the continuing education needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals across the country currently working in or preparing to enter the information technology (IT) field; (2) address the professional development needs of the faculty in the Applied Computer Technology (ACT) Department at theNational Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), and (3) enhance the curriculum for the associate degree programs in ACT.NTID, one of eight colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), was established in 1968 to reverse the long history of underemployment and unemployment among our nation's deaf and hard-of-hearing (deaf/hh) citizens. Today more than 1,100 deaf/hh students from across the country, study, work and live in the largest mainstreamed program in the world and enjoy RIT's close ties to industry leaders such as Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch and Lomb. This new project (1) allows each of 10 faculty release time for one academic quarter and professional development funds to enhance IT skills, develop new curriculum and offer workshops to deaf/hh IT professional; (2) establishes the Institute as a recognized training resource for national companies or government agencies that employ a substantial number of deaf/hh professionals; (3) develops partnerships with community colleges or ATE Centers throughout the country where there are large deaf populations to co-offer IT workshops for deaf/hh professionals; (4) develops and offers on a regular basis (at NTID or partnering sites) new IT-based professional development workshops to deaf/hh adults; and (5) incorporates new IT workshop curricula/materials into the undergraduate curriculum. The model could be used in any academic environment to provide faculty professional development, curriculum enhancement, and continuing education opportunities for the community.