May 1985/Facets 3

Governor Cuomo Visits
LaGuardia CC’s Program for the Deaf

(speacont Mario Cuomo,
recognizing that educational
opportunities for deaf adults must
be expanded, announced at a visit
to LaGuardia Community College
that the state will provide direct
funding to the college’s Program for
Deaf Adults.

The governor pledged $125,000 in
his executive budget for
LaGuardia’s program, the largest
education program for the deaf in
New York City.

The announcement was made
before a group of 100 deaf students
during his visit to the college on
March 14th.

As an interpreter signed his
words, Governor Cuomo described
the college’s program as a successful
demonstration of how effective
government can be.

“This school reflects government
at its best,” the governor said. “The
school is government doing the job
of removing impediments and doing
it marvelously well.”

The state’s commitment to the
program will help the college offset
the enormously high cost of
educating deaf adults. For example,
to provide a single deaf student with
one, in-class interpreter costs the
college $8,000 a year, while the cost
to the student for tuition is about
$1,000 annually.

“But this is only part of the sup-
port services the students require,”
said program director Fern Khan.
“No other college in New York has
committed itself to this kind of ac-
cessibility—yet at the same low tui-
tion costs which unimpaired City
University students pay.”

PHOTO: BILL FREELAND

The college presently has 160 deaf
students enrolled in its various
credit, non-credit, and career pro-
grams. The college, however, is ex-
periencing a dramatic increase in
enrollment due to the thousands of
children who were born deaf as a
result of the nationwide rubella
epidemics of the mid-1960s. These
young people are now beginning to
graduate from high school and they
are seeking a college education.

During his visit, the governor was
given a look at the multi-faceted
program. He attended an American
Sign Language class and observed
students who are being prepared for
careers in the foodservice industry.

BAN

The vocational training program,
funded by the Job Training Partner-
ship Act, is also designed to teach
students word processing and other
office skills.

At the student forum, a group of
deaf students presented the governor
with a LaGuardia sweat shirt and
College President Joseph Shenker
took the opportunity to praise the
governor for his sensitivity to the
problem. He remarked, “You are
the first governor in this nation to
respond to the special needs of the
silent majority, the thousands of
deaf adults who want equal access
to higher education.”