access to postsecondary education for hard of hearing people

A new program by RETAC and SHHH tries to ensure that hard of hearing people have access to a college education.

The Northeast Technical Assistance Center (NETAC), located at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., and Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. (SHHH), based in Bethesda, Md., announce a new training package for faculty and staff members of postsecondary institutions.

"ACCESS: How Best to Serve Postsecondary Students Who Are Hard of Hearing" promotes understanding of hearing loss and its effects on a student's education.

The package contains information on the characteristics of students with hearing loss and hands-on demonstrations of assistive technology for participants.

"The goal of the training program is to encourage appropriate access and accommodation for students who are hard of hearing and wish to attend any postsecondary institution in the United States," says Karen Hopkins, director of NETAC.

ACCESS workshops are currently available to postsecondary programs in the northeastern United States and distributed nationally through the federally funded Postsecondary Education Program Network (PEPNet), of which NETAC is a member.

NETAC is one of four regional centers dedicated to working with postsecondary institutions to improve educational access and enhance postsecondary education opportunities for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. SHHH is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the well being of people of all ages who do not hear well. SHHH is the largest consumer organization of its kind.