IT Training and Certification for the Disabled
When my friend Charlotte, who is blind, wanted to become a computer
programmer, there were not a lot of IT training programs available that
catered specifically to the disabled. Nonetheless, she studied alongside
sighted students in a traditional classroom curriculum and she has been
gainfully employed by a major bank's IT department ever since.
Today, a lot more options exist for disabled techies who want to get
trained and certified. I talked with Dr. Bob Leneway from Western
Michigan University recently, who shared some insights into this area
with me. Dr. Leneway is associated with an organization called the
Association of Rehabilitation Programs in Computer Technology (ARPCT),
which, through its EditU (Education for People with Disabilities in
Informational Technology University) program, offers high-quality,
tuition-free training leading to a variety of certification programs.
ARPCT works with a variety of community colleges, universities,
non-profits, and the National Science Foundation; as well as private
organizations that include Smartforce.com, Manpower, and IBM, to provide
a variety of training opportunities to those who may not otherwise be
able to obtain it. Using IBM's hardware and Smartforce.com's training
content, EditU partners with several community colleges and other
organizations to bring IT certification opportunities to the disabled
nationwide.
Dr. Leneway favors a blended training approach. Students take advantage
of a combination of classroom and online learning, accessible through
EditU educational partners. However, Dr. Leneway notes, "We have a few
students who, because of geographical limitations or physical
limitation, are able to access it independently online, or we also have
cases where we have instructors that go to the home every other week or
so just to check on the student and see how they're doing."
As part of the program, ARPCT is currently under a grant from the
National Science Foundation to evaluate the use of online learning with
disabled people attending community colleges. "One of the things we're
finding out is, you simply cannot throw online learning and expect
people to go independently through it. What we're finding out is that it
works best in blended learning situations."
The program is incredibly flexible and designed to accommodate any need.
If a disabled person wants to become certified through the EditU
program, the first step, according to Dr. Leneway, is to visit the ARPCT
site at http://www.arpct.org and see if there is a local program in
their area. There are 52 centers currently around the country, 13 of
which are at community colleges. If there is no nearby center, the
student may apply directly to EditU at http://www.editu.org.
The training is just as comprehensive and rigorous as any other IT
training program. All affiliated training programs have access to the
entire Smartforce.com training library, including the certification
areas.
» posted by ITworld staff
ITworld
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