Research Studies performed through NTID's Department of Communication Research, as well as our Department of Educational Research and Development and Office of Postsecondary Career Studies and Institutional Research, benefit deaf students and adults throughout the country. In addition to fulfilling their primary mission-providing information that can lead to better teaching, training, and curriculum development at NTID--research findings can have an even greater impact when they are applied on a national and international basis. The research activities of these departments are guided and organized according to six general priorities for research described in our Framework for Considering Educational and Non-Educational Influences on the Attainments of Deaf Persons. The Framework defines six priority areas related to persons who are deaf: OOOOOO economic and occupational assimilation; academic and technical skills; communication skills; personal/social skills; effective instruction; and institutional planning, evaluation, and change. While these priorities are not mutually exclusive, they do provide NTID a rationale for grouping research activities. The model for research proposed in the Framework is used with the above six priorities to shape NTID's long-range research agenda to ensure that it has a constructive influence on educational practices and policies affecting persons who are deaf. Some highlights of this year's accomplishments are listed below: Efforts were continued to further develop and refine the Researchers this year intensified their study of the linguistic structure of American Sign Language in an attempt to improve the quality of NTID's sign language courses. The NTID Computer-Aided Speech to Print Transcription The An important focus of efforts this year was on the Educational Outreach NTID has a long history of providing outreach services to deaf people, educators of persons who are deaf, and other interested parties as evidenced by its various interpreter and notetaker training programs, the "Explore Your Future" summer program for high school juniors, the Educational Specialist Graduate Program for math and science teachers, and the Intern Program where graduate students and professionals in the field of deafness serve under the mentorship of NTID professionals. About six years ago, the Senate subcommittee on Disability Policy asked NTID to increase its outreach efforts after the rubella students were served. In response to their challenge, NTID created the Educational Development Outreach Project. This project provides technical assistance focused on primary and secondary schools, employers of persons who are deaf, adults who are deaf, parents of individuals who are deaf, and rehabilitation and placement professionals. Currently, we are in the third year of implementation of this project. Most activity to date has centered on employers. Four programs are currently being offered across the country: "Working Together: Deaf and Hearing People," "Getting Your Job Done," which encourages personnel officers to hire persons who are deaf, "Climb the Career Ladder" for alumni and other deaf professionals, and "Training the Trainer," which teaches personnel officers to offer "Working Together" to their own staff. With respect to primary, secondary, and postsecondary educators, 43 math and science educators participated in a program to help them devise better strategies for teaching the deaf learner in mainstream settings. Endowment Grant Three hundred and forty two thousand dollars is requested for the endowment matching fund authorized by the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986. NTID will receive these funds as it raises additional endowment funds from non-Federal sources on a dollar for dollar matching basis. The Institute can spend up to fifty percent of the income derived from the investment of the funds for operating purposes. The use of the endowment approach is an important step toward decreasing NTID's dependence on Federal funding in future years. In fiscal year 1990 NTID matched all $322,000 that was appropriated. In all, NTID endowed funds, including federallymatched funds, now total $2,256,528. Summary In summary, the 1992 request is designed to continue the National Technical Institute for the Deaf's commitment to the achievement of equal opportunities for handicapped persons. In the Institute's brief history, it has been shown that young deaf adults can overcome the consequences of their handicap, become contributing members of society, and vastly improve the quality of their lives. On the pragmatic side, recent collaborative research between NTID and the Internal Revenue Service indicates that on the average, persons who graduate from NTID pay back the cost of their education in 10 to 13 years and have lifetime earnings that are 2 to 3 times greater than deaf persons with no degree. Mr. Chairman, I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. POSITION BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM E. CASTLE : Vice President of Government Relations, Rochester Institute of Technology, Director, NTID : Northern State College, Aberdeen, South Dakota, EXPERIENCE PRESENT Sept. 1979 1977-1979 1969-1977 1968-1969 1965-1968 1963-1965 : Assistant to the Vice President & Director of : Associate Secretary for Research and Scientific Affairs, American Speech and Hearing Association : Assistant Professor, Speech Pathology & Audiology, University of Virginia Instructor, Speech Correction, Central Washington Instructor, English, Experimental Phonetics Lab, 1958-1960 1956-1958 : Instructor, Speech Correction, St. Cloud State : Graduate Student at the State University of Iowa 1952-1956 : Secondary Teacher, English & Speech, Faulkton High Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, PUBLICATIONS President) American Association for the Advancement of American Association of Community and Junior American Association of Higher Education American Society for Deaf Children Association for Equality and Excellence in Education, Inc. Association on Handicapped Student Service in Postsecondary Education Conference of Educational Administrators Serving Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf Empire State Association of the Deaf International Society of Phonetic Sciences Monroe County Association for Hearing Impaired National Organization on Disability New York State Speech & Hearing Association : Castle, W.E. "Mainstreaming Techniques for Castle, W.E. "Road to Independence." Presented at the West Coast Family Outing of the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf, November 1978. Castle, W.E. "Recent Developments in Vocational Education for the Deaf in the U.S.A." Presented at the 8th World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, Varna, Bulgaria, June 1979. AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND STATEMENT OF TUCK TINSLEY, III, PRESIDENT BUDGET REQUEST Senator HARKIN. Next, we will hear from Dr. Tuck Tinsley, president of the American Printing House for the Blind. As I said, their request is for $6.1 million, level funding from last year. Dr. Tinsley, welcome back. Please proceed. Dr. TINSLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to appear before your committee this morning. APH PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The American Printing House for the Blind was charted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1858 for the nonprofit manufacture of books and other materials used by blind persons. In 1879, Congress passed the act to promote the education of the blind, which, as amended, now enables the American Printing House to produce and distribute educational materials for all legally blind students in precollege level programs, in the United States, its territories and possessions. The materials produced by the American Printing House are in four general categories: Textbooks and magazines in braille, large type, and recorded formats; recording and writing equipment; tangible aids for the education of blind students; and special supplies used by blind students and adults served through vocational rehabilitation programs. The educational materials are distributed to programs serving the blind through proportional allotments based upon the number of blind students in each program. An annual census is conducted by the American Printing House for the Blind to identify blind students in each program and allotments are then provided in the form of credits. BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE PRINTING HOUSE The total request for this program for 1992 is $6.136 million, the same as the 1991 appropriation. This amount would provide approximately 35 percent of APH total sales income, the remainder coming from contracts with other Federal agencies, product sales to State and local agencies, and individual purchases. Private donations and investments provide additional revenue. Of the funds requested for fiscal year 1992, $5,579,000 would be used to supply special educational materials to an estimated 49,750 blind students. Additionally, $166,000 would be used for advisory services and $391,000 for educational and technical research. PREPARED STATEMENT APH continues to be committed to meeting the needs of blind students through research, development and provision of educational materials necessary for their growth and development. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator HARKIN. Thank you, Dr. Tinsley. |