Since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in
the early 1990's, there's been a high demand for skilled and trained workers to
address the needs of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the fields of
education, mental health, public services, and vocational training. Due to the
growing need, the variety of positions utilizing the skills acquired in the deaf Studies program is expanding. Deaf Studies graduates can expect to be
qualified for a variety of paraprofessional positions: teacher's assistants,
case managers, residential counselors, tutors, after-school recreational
counselors and job coaches. The Deaf Studies Program can also help Deaf and
hard of hearing students who wish to work within their own communities. Any
industry or service that requires human interaction can benefit from having
individuals that know sign language: government services, health care,
hospitality, food service, travel.
In addition, there is a rapidly growing demand for sign
language interpreters who can communicate in a visually oriented language like
American Sign Language. The Deaf Studies Program can help students prepare to
apply to LaGuardia's Adult and Continuing Education ASL-English Interpreting
Program, which has been nationally recognized.
Explore career possibilities on Career Connect.
Additional Resources
- Interpreting
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.
(RID), is a national membership organization that advocates for excellence
in the delivery of interpretation and transliteration services between
people who use sign language and people who use spoken language. In
collaboration with the Deaf community, RID supports its members and
encourages the growth of the profession through the establishment of a
national standard for qualified sign language interpreters and
trans-literators, ongoing professional development and adherence to a code
of professional conduct.
One of RID’s principal functions is administer nationally recognized
certification examinations for sign language interpreters. Individuals
obtaining RID certification are recognized as demonstrating a qualified
level of linguistic and cultural competency for professional interpreting
services. - Discover
Interpreting
Discover Interpreting, run by the
National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers, is designed to
introduce students to the field of sign language interpreting. It provides
a variety of resources including career advice, training options and
additional interpreting resources. It is an excellent place to begin your
journey into interpreting. - NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
is the nation's premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and
hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America.
The NAD was shaped by Deaf leaders who believed in the right of the
American Deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues
important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national
level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as
a core value.
The NAD works to ensure that the collective interests of the American deaf
and hard of hearing community are seen and represented among our nation’s
policy makers and opinion leaders at the federal level.
Deaf Education