National Center on Deafness

Last updated

The National Center on Deafness is an American educational institution aimed at facilitating the education of deaf students. The facilities of the National Center on Deafness are located on the campus of California State University, Northridge, Los Angeles, California. [1] Each year the university hosts the International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities. [2]

Contents

History

Founding

The NCOD was founded in the 1960s, on the site of the former San Fernando Valley State College (SFVSC) in Northridge, Los Angeles. In 1960 The John Tracy Clinic received a planning grant to develop a "Leadership Training Program in the Area of the Deaf". Wayne F. McIntire, of San Fernando Valley State College, assisted by Ray L. Jones and Edgar Lowell of the Tracy Clinic, directed the development of an interdisciplinary curriculum in leadership training. [3] The program is housed in the School of Education.

In 1962, The National Leadership Training Program was established on campus by a federal grant to train administrative personnel concerned with rehabilitation of the deaf. Master's degrees were presented to ten participants, and adult education classes were set up at a local church.

In 1964 the NLTP admitted its first two deaf students and provided them with interpreters and notetakers for full access to university classes. [4] [5] The program developed telephone communication devices enabling deaf and deaf-blind person to make limited use of telephone; in 1965 they began to train deaf and deaf-blind persons in its use. That year NLTP-D hired its first deaf staff member.

By 1968 thirty-three deaf students were enrolled at SFVSC; funding for support services, which had previously come from community service clubs, was taken over by the local vocational rehabilitation office. That year the Department of Special Education established credit courses in American Sign Language and Interpreting.

In 1969 the NCOD received a "block funding grant" from the California State Department of Rehabilitation. Another grant allowed the initiation of a program to prepare teachers of the deaf at the secondary level.

In 1970 the Drama Department at SFVSC offered a "Sign Language and Drama" course. That year SFVSC received a grant from the Bureau of Adult Vocational and Library Programs for "Project DAWN" (Deaf Adults With Need) to establish adult basic education programs across the country by training local deaf leaders. This model was later expanded to include other disabled groups.

That year SFVSC sponsored a national workshop and several regional workshops designed to bring together parents of deaf persons, deaf adults, and rehabilitation workers. The Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation initiated a summer Master's program designed to allow teachers of the deaf, particularly deaf teachers, to earn an MA degree through summer residency plus extension courses. By 1971, the entire curriculum of the college was opened to deaf and hard of hearing students.

Renaming

On June 1, 1972, the college was renamed California State University, Northridge; by then the Fall enrollment of deaf students exceeded one hundred for the first time. Pursuant to Assembly Bill 1923, the Trustee's Committee on Educational Policy designates CSUN as a professional center for training deaf persons; CSUN administration then established a "Center on Deafness" to coordinate the various training and support programs. The Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation appointed a deaf professor as head of the Teacher Preparation Program.

In 1973 CSUN awarded a master's degree to its 100th deaf graduate. In 1974 the Center on Deafness initiated a "Visiting Deaf Professor" lectureship, and deaf teachers from other colleges and universities were invited to spend a semester at CSUN to teach, study, and write. A new "Law and the Handicapped" summer workshop was offered on campus. CSUN joineda "National Interpreter Training Consortium" to meet the need for training interpreters across the country.

In 1976 the Center on Deafness initiated a publication series: Selected Readings in the Integration of Deaf Students at CSUN, Sign Language Theater and Deaf Theater: New Definitions and Directions. The center collaborated with IBM Corporation to plan a "New Careers in Business for the Deaf" program.

In 1977 CSUN awarded its 200th MA degree to a deaf person. That year the center reorganized, adding a Planning and Evaluation Unit, Administrative Services Unit, and Faculty Liaison person. Center on Deafness administrators testified before the House and Senate Subcommittee on Handicapped. The California State Department of Rehabilitation awarded a contract to the center to establish a Telecommunications Center.

National focus

In 1978 the center's name was changed to the National Center on Deafness, and plans were made for a building on the CSUN campus. A Telecommunications Center honoring the memory of Alexander Graham Bell was set up. in 1980 a deaf student organization, Deaf CSUNians, was established.

In 1982 NCOD won the G. Theodore Mitau Award. A Deaf Fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, was set up at CSUN. The center held its first annual NCOD Awards Ceremony, and also hosted a week-long Interpreter Faire, attracting about 80 local interpreters.

In 1984 about 200 Deaf and Hard of Hearing students were enrolled at the center. Three years later the center initiated a study of attrition rates among deaf students in the sciences.

Starting in 1987 Deaf CSUNians have decorated a float for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Tradition continues to the present. In 1988 NCOD won the first Deaf Students College Bowl held between CSUN, Gallaudet University, and The National Technical Institute for the Deaf. In 1988 a Deaf Sorority, Alpha Sigma Theta, iwas set up at CSUN.

New home

In 1989 the center was housed in a new building, Jeanne M. Chisholm Hall, donated by Grace Petri in memory of her sister. The center became part of the School of Education. In 1991 a Regional Outreach Program was established by the NCOD to serve colleges and universities in Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada; several more states were later added.

In 1992 NCOD hosted an exhibition of artwork by deaf children in China. During the next year, Lambda Sigma Pi Fraternity was founded.

In 1994 the center received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. [6] The Deaf Studies BA program was installed into the CSU system by 2008.

The center was presented with a $50,000 donation from the Reseda Valley Women's Club to endow a scholarship. [7]

In 2012 students from the Center participated in police training exercises to simulate interactions between officers and deaf people at crime scenes. [8]

By 2017, approximately 200 deaf and hard of hearing students were attending CSUN each semester and register through the National Center on Deafness to receive services such as interpreting, realtime captioning, typewell, notetaking, tutoring and academic advisement.

CSUN Campus Services

The main purpose of the NCOD is to provide services for deaf students that want to attend CSUN. Some of the services that they provide are interpreters, [9] note takers, closed captioning, and transcription.

So that students can participate the culture and the language of Deaf people, academic advisors who know American Sign Language are available in the CSUN Education Building, for both deaf and hearing students. NCOD also provides guidance services and some scholarships for students who are applying for admission to CSUN. [10]

Beginning in 1978, the NCOD accumulated a large collection of deaf-centered books and audio-visual materials that cover the history, culture, and societal treatment of the deaf community. In 2016 the NCOD collection was moved from the NCOD building to CSUN'S University Library. [11] [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northridge, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood in California, US

Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community is home to California State University, Northridge, and the Northridge Fashion Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State University, Northridge</span> Public university in Los Angeles, California, US

California State University, Northridge, is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students, it has the second largest undergraduate population as well as the third largest total student body in the California State University system, making it one of the largest comprehensive universities in the United States in terms of enrollment size. The size of CSUN also has a major impact on the California economy, with an estimated $1.9 billion in economic output generated by CSUN on a yearly basis. As of Fall 2021, the university had 2,187 faculty, of which 794 were tenured or on the tenure track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Northridge earthquake</span> Earthquake in Los Angeles, California

The 1994 Northridge earthquake was a moment magnitude 6.7, blind thrust earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 4:30:55 a.m. PST in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The quake had a duration of approximately 10–20 seconds, and its peak ground acceleration of 1.82 g was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. Shaking was felt as far away as San Diego, Turlock, Las Vegas, Richfield, Phoenix, and Ensenada. The peak ground velocity at the Rinaldi Receiving Station was 183 cm/s, the fastest ever recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Fernando Valley</span> Valley in California, US

The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several unincorporated areas; and the incorporated cities of Burbank, Calabasas, Glendale, Hidden Hills, and San Fernando. The valley is well known for its film studios such as Warner Bros. Studios and Walt Disney Studios. In addition, it is home to the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Library, California State University Northridge</span> Academic library at California State University, Northridge

The University Library at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is located in Northridge, in the northern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State University, Los Angeles</span> Public university in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

California State University, Los Angeles is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 master's degree programs, and 4 doctoral degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy in special education, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Doctor of Audiology. It also offers 22 teaching credentials.

KCSN is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Northridge, California, and owned by California State University, Northridge. The station simulcasts with KSBR from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. The station primarily airs adult album alternative (AAA) and Americana music with a mix of legends, new music, and local music with some specialty programming on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State University Northridge Botanic Garden</span>

The California State University Northridge Botanic Garden or CSUN Botanic Garden is located in the northern San Fernando Valley, in the southeast section ("quadrant") of the California State University, Northridge campus in the community of Northridge in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern Law School</span> Private law school is Los Angeles, California

Southwestern Law School is a private law school in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and enrolls nearly 1,000 students. Its campus includes the Bullocks Wilshire building, an art deco National Register of Historic Places landmark built in 1929. Southwestern is an independent law school with affiliation to the undergraduate program at California State University, Northridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland School for the Deaf</span> Public school in Frederick, Maryland, United States

The Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) offers public education at no cost to deaf and hard-of-hearing Maryland residents between the ages of zero and 21. It has two campuses located in Frederick and Columbia, Maryland.

Jolene Koester is an American university administrator, economic board member, and author. She served as the 4th president of California State University, Northridge from July 2000 to December 2011, and as the interim Chancellor of the California State University system from 2022 to 2023. Koester holds a Ph.D. in speech communication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard S. McDonald</span> American educator and college administrator

Howard Stevenson McDonald was an American university administrator, and president of Brigham Young University and California State University, Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlton School</span> Public school in Los Angeles, California, United States

Marlton School is a KG–12 public special school for the deaf and hard of hearing students in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was established in 1968 and is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deaf studies</span>

Deaf studies are academic disciplines concerned with the study of the deaf social life of human groups and individuals. These constitute an interdisciplinary field that integrates contents, critiques, and methodologies from anthropology, cultural studies, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, social studies, and sociology, among others. The field focuses on the language, culture, and lives of the deaf from the social instead of the medical perspective.

Devonshire Downs, sometimes informally called The Downs, was a horse racing track and multipurpose event facility in Northridge, California. It was located at the southwest corner of Devonshire Street and Zelzah Avenue, east of Reseda Boulevard. The site is now owned by the California State University, Northridge (CSUN), which renamed it North Campus, and leased in part to Medtronic MiniMed.

James William Cleary was an American university administrator and editor. He was the co-editor of multiple editions of Robert's Rules of Order and served as the second president of California State University, Northridge from 1969 to 1992.

Blenda Wilson is a retired American university administrator and educational executive who was the first African-American woman to become president of a large American university. She was president of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Wilson oversaw the rebuilding of CSUN over several years, costing nearly $400 million and repairing or rebuilding over 100 buildings on the campus.

Harold Hellenbrand is a retired American college professor, scholar, administrator, and author. He has held several faculty and administrative roles at various institutions, such as the Chair of the English department at California State University, San Bernardino, Dean at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Dean at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and most notably, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at California State University, Northridge, where until his retirement he taught in the English department. He is known especially for his biography of Thomas Jefferson, The Unfinished Revolution: Education and Politics in the Thought of Thomas Jefferson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Elena Zavala</span> American plant biologist

Maria Elena Zavala is an American plant biologist. She was the first Mexican-American woman to earn a PhD in botany in the United States. She is currently a full professor of biology at the California State University-Northridge, studying plant development. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the first Latina fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists, the first Latina fellow of the American Society of Cell Biology, and an elected fellow of the Institute of Science. In 2000, she was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, which recognises individuals who have increased the participation of underrepresented minorities in their fields.

Roslyn "Roz" Goodstein Rosen is an American advocate for the Deaf community. Rosen was the president of the National Association of the Deaf from 1990 to 1993 and was a board member for the World Federation of the Deaf from 1995 to 2003. She served in multiple academic administrator roles throughout her career, including as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gallaudet University, and was the director of the National Center on Deafness from 2006 to 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "Victor Galloway, first deaf superintendent of the Texas School for the Deaf, dies". Statesman, Jan. 17, 2013
  2. ↑ "Cal State Northridge — the state's largest campus — serves as cultural heart for San Fernando Valley". Dana Bartholomew, Los Angeles Daily News, 10/15/2015
  3. ↑ "Wayne McIntire, 95; helped establish CSUN as a model in the field of deaf education". Los Angeles Times, March 02, 2007|Jocelyn Y. Stewart
  4. ↑ American Rehabilitation: AR. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, [Rehabilitation Services Administration. 1987. pp. 4–5.
  5. ↑ "Deaf Students Follow the Signs in CSUN Classes". Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1987|SUSAN SOLOMON
  6. ↑ "NORTHRIDGE : Deafness Center at CSUN Wins Grant". Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1994|SUSAN BYRNES
  7. ↑ "Reseda Woman's Club has a long history of investing in the Valley". Los Angeles Daily News, Susan Shelley | August 1, 2015
  8. ↑ "Police train at Cal State Northridge for response to shooting scene". Los Angeles Times, December 20, 2012
  9. ↑ "Thousands watch Burbank native sign 'Hamilton' hit". Los Angeles Times, Sep 30, 2016. Anthony Clark Carpio
  10. ↑ French-American Foundation (1994). Parallel Views: Education and Access for Deaf People in France and the United States . Gallaudet University Press. pp.  211–. ISBN   978-1-56368-030-4.
  11. ↑ "Joint Statement on the Transfer of the NCOD Resource Center Collections to the Oviatt Library". California State University, Northridge. June 27, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Deaf Related Materials Collection". California State University, Northridge. 30 August 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "We Would Like You to Meet: Tony Ivankovic". California State University, Northridge. Summer 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.