Apple and Gallaudet University Partner to Advance Accessibility and Inclusion in Education

CUPERTINO, Calif. and WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Apple and Gallaudet University, the world's premier university for deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind students, today announced a multifaceted collaboration to make learning more accessible and expand both academic and career opportunities for Gallaudet students.

Beginning this fall, Gallaudet University will provide all students and faculty with an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and SmartFolio for iPad Pro to support their learning and teaching. Students and teachers at the https://www..gallaudet.edu/clerc-center.html [Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center __title__ Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center], Gallaudet's federal demonstration programs for students in grades K-12, will also participate in this new initiative.

Reflecting Apple and Gallaudet's shared goal of greater inclusion, the collaboration also will include participation in a new Apple scholarship program for students of color with disabilities, and employment and career opportunities for Gallaudet students. Furthering the university's unique bilingual mission, the initiative with Apple will provide Gallaudet students with the opportunity to design bilingual apps in American Sign Language (ASL) and English.

"On behalf of the Gallaudet University family, I want to extend my thanks and deep appreciation to everyone at Apple," said Gallaudet University President Roberta J. Cordano. "This unique collaboration aligns perfectly with Gallaudet's bilingual mission and will serve a critical role in advancing both ASL vibrancy and greater equity for our community. We very much look forward to working with Apple and I have no doubt that our students will benefit from this collaboration far beyond their college years."

"Gallaudet has been at the forefront of advancing education and acceptance of Deaf culture in this country for more than 150 years," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. "We are honored to work together with this incredible institution to create even more opportunities for Gallaudet students and for all underserved and underrepresented communities."

Part of a broader Gallaudet initiative, Connected Gallaudet, the iPad Pro integration is aimed at rethinking the learning environment both physically and virtually. The university's bilingual mission—education delivered in both English and American Sign Language—will be further enhanced through Apple's industry-leading accessibility technology and design, as well as video and digital content.

The benefits to Gallaudet of having the Apple technology include increased personalized learning capabilities, greater digital fluency, an increase in student performance and engagement, quicker turnaround time for assessments, improved record-keeping of students' progress, and instant communication between peers and teachers. It also presents new opportunities for innovative learning and teaching strategies.

Since its launch in 2010, iPad has become the most accessible education device ever, transforming the way learners learn and teachers teach. iPad and iPad Pro enable opportunities for tens of millions of students with disabilities all over the world, and make learning more inclusive for all types of learners.

Apple Scholarship Support for Gallaudet Students

Apple will begin offering scholarship support for students of color with disabilities to include talented Gallaudet students pursuing degrees and coursework in information technology, computer science and other science, technology, and mathematics fields. Gallaudet students will also have the opportunity to take part in the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The event is held annually and brings together innovators and entrepreneurs to connect, share, and create. Students will get to join more than 5,000 developers attending the event's engineering sessions, forums, laboratories, and keynote presentations to learn about the latest app and software innovation available through Apple platforms.

Employment and Career Opportunities

Apple also has established a recruitment program with Gallaudet through Apple Carnegie Library. Located on Mount Vernon Square in Northwest Washington, the store employs more than 30 team members who identify as members of the deaf or hard of hearing community. Many of these employees are Gallaudet students or alumni. The store has worked with both Gallaudet and Clerc Center to develop customized training, sessions, and programming for students, faculty, staff, and K-12 teachers. In addition, other Apple Stores in the Washington metropolitan area have team members from the Deaf community and can provide a customer experience in ASL.

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. The university enrolls over 1,600 students in more than 40 undergraduate majors, as well as many graduate programs at the master's and doctoral level. It also conducts much research in a variety of fields, including brain imaging, educational neuroscience, education, linguistics, psychology, Deaf history and culture, and Black Deaf history and culture.

Media Contacts:

The Durkin Agency
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Gallaudet University
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SOURCE Apple and Gallaudet University