Presentation and Access Technologies at NTID

2010 Technology and Deaf Education Symposium
Demonstration of the Presentation and Access Technologies in Classrooms, Conference Rooms and Labs at NTID (M2A)

Chas Johnstone, RIT/NTID
Web Resources Available: Slideshows, photos, verbatim captions

Take Aways:
Chas Johnstone, NTID at RIT’s Data Center Operations Systems Analyst, wowed his audience with uber-access and presentation technology available to faculty and students at NTID. The presentation technology available in the demonstration classroom included two LCD projectors, two motorized projection screens, a resident computer, connections for additional presenter laptop computers, a DVD/VHS player, CCTV used in conjunction with a document camera, special lighting, and numerous ceiling speakers. Access technology available to classrooms included FM sound field system, an FM group hearing assistance system, a document enlarger, and a smaller flat screen monitor.

Having worked at RIT for 33 years, Mr. Johnstone has witnessed first-hand the improvement in interactivity and visualization that technology has made possible in the classrooms at NTID. He demonstrated the various lighting patterns possible in the room – a dry topic, but important in a classroom of visual learners where the instructor can easily direct student attention to different areas in the room with spotlighting.

Many rooms have two LCD projectors that allow simultaneous presentation of two different visuals, such as a presentation slideshow and real time captioning. This arrangement would also allow an instructor to demonstrate comparisons in a side-by-side display. As a hearing audience member, I enjoyed reading the caption display adjacent to the slideshows. When I missed something that the speaker said or when I needed to jot down an item from a previous slide, I could usually read what I needed from the caption display.

To accommodate this challenge for a significant number of students at NTID have reduced fields of vision (Usher Syndrome), classrooms contain smaller flat screen monitors placed at eye-level in room front. In sessions when I sat up near the presenter, I found these displays very easy to read and helpful.

The FM sound field system for the demonstration classroom included 20 ceiling-mounted speakers. In addition to that system, each classroom is equipped with an FM group hearing assistance system. Each group system includes two transmitters – for transmitting to RIT-supplied receivers and to student-provided receivers. Group receivers are also available, which students either clip it to a belt or wear around their necks.

Mr. Johnstone addressed an audience question about the lost ability to view closed captioning with LCD projectors. He acknowledged this as a problem. “That's true, and the reason that we have it here for that very reason, is because we're projecting and there is not a decoder in the projector. So if we want to show a closed-captioned VHS tape, we have to put it through this decoder, and then it will open it up when we project it.” He suggested commercial decoders made by Link Technologies.

One item missing from our demonstration classroom was an Interactive White Board (IWB). Eight NTID classrooms presently have IWBs, with more being added.

NTID is a model higher education facility serving deaf students with state of the art technology. Mr. Johnstone is a good resource person for all things deaf access/presentation technology. While researching this posting, I came across a wonderful technology tip sheet for classroom teachers of deaf students that he compiled back in 1999. Much of the information is relevant today. Have a look.

Access more blog postings.of more symposium sessions (scroll to bottom of linked blog posting).