Pilot Program to Prepare Adults who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing for Skilled Technical Positions in Information Technology

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Deafness creates communication barriers resulting in significant and unique learning needs. For example, adults who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (deaf/hh) often experience frustration and struggle with comprehending technical content when attending traditional professional development supported by sign language interpreters. These learners reported difficulties with the pace of instruction and communication with their instructors and peers. Out of class situations, such as breaks or lunch time, were described as awkward because they needed an interpreter to socialize. This indirect communication environment often left these learners feeling isolated, like “second class citizens,” and questioning their own competence and ability to learn technical content. There are extremely limited opportunities for technical professional development for deaf adults that are delivered by experienced instructors using American Sign Language (ASL). The goal of this project is to provide professional development that will improve the employment of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community as Information Technology support technicians. This project will be carried out by a partnership that includes CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral IT certifications and the DeafTEC Resource Center, housed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) within the Rochester Institute of Technology. This professional development, referred to as the DeafTEC Ready program, will be offered in a direct communication environment in which all instructors and learners know ASL, allowing everyone to communicate freely. By participating in the DeafTEC Ready program, learners who are deaf/hh will learn technical skills such as repairing and maintaining computer equipment, networks, and operating systems, as well as key workplace skills such as professional communication and problem solving. After completing their training, the learners will sit for CompTIA A+ certification exams, the industry standard for launching a career in IT. Upon successful certification, these individuals will receive direct job placement assistance from CompTIA’s career services staff. Certified individuals will also receive credit for three courses in NTID’s Applied Computer Technology associate degree programs. These courses can be used toward an associate degree at NTID or at other colleges across the country that accept the credit. The project will help meet industry’s need for computer support technicians and for a more diverse workforce by increasing participation of deaf/hh individuals in highly skilled technician careers. This increased participation can also increase acceptance of deaf/hh individuals within these workplaces and beyond. The project will increase access to CompTIA training materials and exams by reducing language barriers that will not only help deaf/hh test-takers but other English language learners. Thus, the project can help people from different communities obtain CompTIA A+ certification and enter the IT workforce. The DeafTEC Ready program will also help employers develop the sensitivity and skills to create an inclusive workplace where not only deaf/hh employees but all employees can succeed. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.