National Technical Institute for the Deaf

If your son or daughter qualifies to take courses and programs in the College of Applied Science and Technology, E. Philip Saunders College of Business, B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, College of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, College of Liberal Arts or College of Science, RIT/NTID will provide him or her with the educational access services he or she needs. Your student can request sign language interpreting services, FM systems, real-time captioning services or notetaking. Alternative services also will be provided as required. Your student also may take advantage of a unique array of educational support services, including tutoring by experienced faculty tutors, personal and career counseling, and academic advising.

Exceptional Direct Instruction

If your student takes NTID courses and programs, faculty members are responsible for facilitating communication in the classroom and will communicate directly with him/her using a variety of communication strategies including sign language, spoken language (FM systems are available), fingerspelling, printed/visual aids, Web-based instructional materials and individual tutoring. The faculty member is responsible for facilitating communication in the classroom. Your son or daughter will have the benefit of small classes and labs, and have access to a state-of-the-art learning center staffed by professional and peer tutors.

An assigned counselor will work closely with your son or daughter to help plan his or her collegiate experience and provide academic advising as well as personal, social and career counseling services.

If your student applies and is accepted to an Associate+Bachelor’s Degree Program, instructors will communicate directly with your student in the courses in the program that are taught by NTID faculty members. Your student may request access services for the courses in the programs that are taught by faculty members in one of RIT’s eight other colleges.

On-Site Communication Services

Your son or daughter doesn’t have to leave campus for audiological, speech/language or cochlear implant support.

Audiology services include free hearing tests, hearing aid evaluations and FM system fittings. Students can purchase custom-made ear molds, batteries and hearing aids on campus as well as arrange for hearing aid repairs.

Speech and language services include opportunities to enhance use of spoken English and address individual communication needs and concerns. The Spoken Language Learning and Practice Lab offers students equipment and software that provide visual feedback for speech production, facilitate automatic speech recognition and conversational practice and more.

Students with cochlear implants benefit from one-on-one specialized support, including free services related to mapping, troubleshooting assistance and listening practice. An on-campus support network of cochlear implant users meets regularly for group discussion and social activities.

Accessible Campus Facilities and Safety Services

With 1,300 deaf and hard-of-hearing students in our campus community, RIT has made sure our campus is accessible. Specially designed dorm rooms include strobe fire alarms and doorbells. Visual emergency warning systems also are present in academic buildings. RIT’s Public Safety officers are on duty 24/7 for safety, security and traffic control. Public Safety is easily accessible by phone, TTY, Instant Message, e-mail and blue-light security call boxes that are located around campus. Beyond campus, your son or daughter will find Rochester has one of the nation’s largest populations of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Many restaurants, movie theaters and malls have experience serving deaf and hard-of-hearing people.