Community college is a local area college. Community colleges tend to offer certificate programs and associate degrees which typically take two years to complete as a student. These degrees may be in criminal justice, computer technology, general studies and much more.
There are different names for trade schools which are also known as career college, technical college and vocational school. These programs are all career specific training such as becoming a plumber, electrician, welding, cosmetology and more.
Depending on which type of school you choose: public, private, or community college the types of accommodations you get varies. All schools are legally required to provide accommodations but every school has different availability and support of those resources. Public colleges are the most likely to have established disability departments. They have more funding and are typically bigger. Private colleges are going to be able to offer different levels of support depending on how much funding and resources they dedicate to that department. When looking at private colleges, look at different policies and services different schools offer.
When looking at accommodations at a school or educational program, an individual with hearing loss should have access to reasonable accommodations. These can include closed captioning, sign language interpreter, Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), note taker, preferred seating, and assistive listening devices. Before an individual with hearing loss commits to a school, it is important to talk with the school or university about their accommodations that they can provide. This may be through disability services or an accommodations office. It is important that your child knows and can accommodate for themselves. They are going to be at school on their own and it is important that they understand how to advocate for their needs such as asking for clarification, repetition, notes after class, meeting with counselors, requesting interpreters, note takers, asking for captions on video and via online classes, and much more. If an individual with hearing loss is living on their own such as in a dorm, make sure they are equipped with technology that can alert them if there is a fire or even an alarm clock. See more about technology. If any private school is unable to provide any specific accommodations for a valid reason, The Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) will be able to help ensure that these accommodations are provided.