Program Office: Office of Special Institutions

CFDA Number: 84.908
Program Type: Direct Appropriation
Also Known As: NTID

The purpose of the NTID is to promote the employment of persons who are deaf by providing technical and professional education for the nation’s young people who are deaf. The Department of Education maintains an agreement with a host institution, the Rochester Institute of Technology, to operate a residential facility for postsecondary technical training and education for individuals who are deaf. The purpose of the special relationship with the host institution is to provide NTID and its students with access to more facilities, institutional services, and career preparation options than could be otherwise provided by a national technical institute for the deaf standing alone. The host institution also provides NTID students with health and counseling services, a library, and physical education and recreation facilities. General services such as food, maintenance, grounds, and security also are provided.

NTID offers a variety of technical programs at the certificate, diploma, and associate degree levels. In its degree programs, majors are available in areas such as business, engineering, science, and visual communications. In addition, NTID students may participate in approximately 200 education programs available through the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). RIT offers advanced technological courses of study at the undergraduate and graduate degree levels. NTID initiated a master’s degree program of its own in FY 1996 to train secondary education teachers who will be teaching students who are deaf. The institute also operates a bachelor’s in applied science degree program to train interpreters for persons who are deaf and a tutor and note-taker training program. Students who are deaf and enroll in NTID or RIT programs are provided a wide range of support services and special programs to assist them in preparing for their careers, including tutoring, remedial and language enrichment programs, counseling, note-taking, interpreting, and mentoring. Students may work with specialized educational media and complete cooperative work experiences. Specialized job placement assistance also is provided.

NTID conducts applied research on the occupational- and employment-related aspects of deafness. It also conducts studies related to communication assessment, the demographics of NTID’s target population, and how hearing loss affects learning in postsecondary education. In addition, NTID conducts training workshops and seminars related to deafness. These workshops and seminars are offered to professionals throughout the nation who employ, work with, teach, or otherwise serve persons who are deaf.