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NDC offers a variety of free e-learning opportunities to support the postsecondary success of deaf students. Earn RID CEUs or CRC clock hours by completing one of our short courses or dig deeper and enroll in one of our course series. Individuals who take classes with NDC | learn will be able to view real stories shared by deaf people across the country, discuss concerns and challenges with others, and learn from national experts. Information on all of our current courses is available on our Canvas Catalog.
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Deaf 101
3 CRC Clock Hours
Are you an instructor of a deaf student? A professional with a deaf coworker? A manager of a deaf employee? Are you looking for basic information on what being deaf means and how to communicate with deaf people? Deaf 101 is a short course that provides hearing people with the basic knowledge and tools necessary to communicate effectively with deaf individuals, especially in professional settings.
0.3 RID Professional Studies CEUs / 3 CRC Clock Hours
Research shows that significant barriers in postsecondary settings marginalize deaf people, particularly deaf people with intersecting and multiple identities. In fact, social constructs rooted in attitudes and bias can prevent many deaf people from achieving their full potential.
Professionals working with deaf people must do the work to acknowledge and examine how one contributes to the system. Yet, awareness is only the first step, in order to make real change — action is necessary. This course is designed for anyone who works with deaf people, or anyone interested in learning more about how to recognize their role in contributing to a system that creates the conditions that deaf people live daily.
0.2 RID General Studies CEUs / 2 CRC Clock Hours
Effective communication is central to building positive interactions and relationships. This course is designed to provide participants with the fundamentals of communication and accommodations as it relates to deaf people's experiences in postsecondary settings — ultimately ensuring deaf people have an equal opportunity to give or receive information in a manner that is best for them.
Understanding the diversity among deaf people in language usage, identity, race, ethnicity and disabilities means also understanding that communication preferences may change in any given setting, circumstance, and interaction — and this course outlines what factors to take into consideration to get started with accommodation conversations and helps increase knowledge and capacity in this area.
0.3 RID General Studies CEUs / 3 CRC Clock Hours
Historically, deaf people are not included in the decision making that impacts their lives daily. This is particularly true at the systems level. The lived experience and knowledge of deaf community members must guide policy changes, strategic planning, and programs that are designed to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for deaf people in the United States. This course is an opportunity to increase your capacity to learn from and work collaboratively with deaf people. Drawing from NDC’s experiences working with local communities, this course outlines the key elements and actions for collective systems change.
0.2 RID General Studies CEUs / 2 CRC Clock Hours
Tests are a common part of our educational landscape and are often gatekeepers for access to advanced training or job placement. Deaf individuals often face obstacles to fair and equitable testing. Register for Foundations of Test Equity to explore test equity for deaf students. This course is an opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding of test equity basics and test taking experiences of deaf individuals.
0.3 RID General Studies CEUs / 3 CRC Clock Hours
Implementing Test Equity Concepts is the second of three courses in a sequence focusing on Test Equity. The first course, Foundations of Test Equity, explained why deaf individuals often face obstacles to fair and equitable testing. This course addresses the practical applications of test equity rooted in federal law. Learning builds on concepts from the foundations course, and expands on concepts including Universal Design principles for test design, test fairness and validity, and accommodations to consider for deaf students.
0.3 RID Professional Studies CEUs
More than 200,000 deaf and hard of hearing students attend colleges and universities in the United States. Yet “begrudging tolerance” was what many encountered in the classroom and on campus, according to NDC’s nationwide report about college accessibility. It’s an issue that is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Simply providing a basic level of accommodations does not guarantee that deaf students have full access to the broader learning environment. As a result of this and other factors, research shows deaf people are less likely to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree.
In just three hours, postsecondary faculty can learn how to design an accessible and equitable learning environment, reduce barriers to engagement, and cultivate a community of learners who succeed.
Teaching Deaf Students Online
0.2 RID Professional Studies CEUs
Nearly 46% of deaf college students have experience with online courses. These experiences are not equitable to their hearing peers. The shift to online learning calls for a shift in instructional design. Accommodations that students are accustomed to in-person may not be effective online. this course will help faculty, instructors and teachers make the shift towards accessible online instruction.
0.3 RID General Studies CEUs / 3 CRC Clock Hours
This course is designed to provide professionals and community members with information and resources to take in consideration before building new or strengthening existing mentoring opportunities. Participants may also consider sharing information about the course with families of deaf youth.
0.4 RID General Studies CEUs / 4 CRC Clock Hours
Improving Campus Access is a short course that provides basic knowledge and the tools necessary to understand the complexities of providing access to deaf students pursuing postsecondary education. Research shows there are significant barriers that prevent deaf students from thriving at college and career-readiness programs.
0.3 RID General Studies CEUs / 3 CRC Clock Hours
Developing Accessible Work Based Learning Programs is a short course that provides information and practical resources about accessible employment opportunities for deaf youth. This course is designed with vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals, transition/employment specialists, educators, employers, and community rehabilitation partners (or program providers) in mind, and anyone who has a stake in improving employment outcomes for deaf people.
Not eligible for RID CEUs and CRC Clock Hours
Note Taker Training is a self-guided online training course that defines the role of the note taker and provides note taking strategies that enable student note takers to provide accurate, comprehensive classroom notes for deaf students. The training can be completed in multiple sessions or all at once. When students have gone through all of the material, they can take an online quiz to evaluate their knowledge. Students with a passing score will earn a Verification of Training Completion certificate that they can print. This course was adapted from a pepnet2 course.
Designing Summer Programs for Deaf Youth
0.3 RID General Studies CEUs / 3 CRC Clock Hours
Summer programs can take a variety of shapes and forms. Whether a summer program focuses on coding, culinary skills, or self-advocacy and leadership, all programs strive to develop young people's skills and abilities in preparation for adulthood. While research affirms the benefits of summer programs for all youth, less information is available on the effectiveness of summer programming for deaf youth. This course seeks to increase the availability of summer programs by providing this information for professionals - educators, transition counselors, and vocational rehabilitation professionals - who facilitate youth programs.