Looking Beyond Academic Access

This shows some young kids/ students walking towards a building with mentions " Donald W Reynolds Center". They have their backpacks and water bottles. This appears to be a campus.

The legal minimum, while perhaps legally sufficient, does not ensure deaf students have full access to the same experience as their peers, both in and out of the classroom, nor does it guarantee positive outcomes. To foster inclusive settings for all students to thrive that go beyond just being “good enough,” access must be viewed as a multifaceted framework that is part of the policies and practices at every level of the institution.

Navigating accommodations in medical or clinical internship settings

This is a vector image of the clipboard with a heart and a medical cross on it along with a pencil next to the clipboard.

Medical or clinical internships are an important step in getting a higher education degree or post-graduation employment. For deaf students, navigating communication access in these settings is vital to achieving #DeafSuccess. In fact, how to best get this access is a frequent inquiry through our NDC | help team. Our team has gathered information and resources to assist in planning, coordinating, and collaborating with students and sites to ensure the best possible internship experience.

Role Models Have a Big Impact on #DeafSuccess

This image shows a teacher in a classroom. He is wearing a grey jacket, a yellow t-shirt, jeans, and white shoes. He is supposedly asking something from the students and one of the students has raised his hands. Behind the teacher, there is a blackboard that mentions " Classwork" and some formulas.

Deaf role models offer support from a place of shared understanding and life experience. With deaf role models, deaf youth are more likely to strengthen socioemotional skills, self-determination, language skills, and explore more options after high school. They can also serve as aspirational goals for deaf youth, who often don’t see people like themselves in certain careers or portrayed in the media.

New! Disability Services Work Group at NDC: Connecting for #DeafSuccess

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Work groups are intentional opportunities for professionals to work collaboratively to address issues across multiple levels of the system. NDC plans to continue bringing people together to identify solutions, share resources, and implement strategies in a variety of postsecondary settings. Going forward, this Disability Services Professionals group will meet quarterly online.

The next work group meeting will be held on Sept. 30, 12:45 ET/11:45 CT/9:45 PST. If you would like to participate in this work group, please contact Lore Kinast at lore@nationaldeafcenter.org. NDC is also currently running a work group on summer programming opportunities for deaf youth. To join, email Jennifer Higgins, at Jennifer@nationadeafcenter.org.

The Benefits of Mentoring

This image shows two men, one elderly person, and one young man. Both are looking at the drill machine and it appears that the elderly man is teaching the young man how to use it. Both are wearing safety goggles.

Mentoring is a valuable opportunity for anyone — but it is particularly impactful for deaf youth. Mentoring opportunities offer valuable experiences that contribute to personal, academic, and career development for deaf youth.

Madison College Embraces Change for #DeafSuccess

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NDC provides individualized support for creating more accessible environments and ensuring equitable experiences for deaf students on campuses across the country.

NDC spoke with Scott Ritter, director of disability resource and testing and assessment services, and Jana Mauldin, senior interpretation advisor and coordinator, from Madison College to tell us about their experiences partnering with NDC.

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National Deaf Center