CONNECTICUT:

• * The Connecticut NETAC office sponsored a statewide consortium September 19 at Wesleyan University. Project Director Alan Hurwitz attended and discussed NETAC aims and goals. Nearly 50 professionals from postsecondary institutions, agencies, and one area high school attended. Workshops focused on effective education for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. These were followed by a panel discussion on ADA and state regulations for postsecondary educational programs and services. Panelists included representatives from the Connecticut Community-Technical Colleges Chancellor's Office, the Connecticut Department of Higher Education, the Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, the Center for Independence and Access, and the Bureau of Rehabilitation.
• * Elaine Taylor, Connecticut site coordinator, will share NETAC news during the annual Career Education for the Deaf (CED) Thanksgiving Dinner November 23. This annual event is co-hosted by the Northwest Connecticut Community Technical College Deaf Students Club; more than 150 members of the state's deaf community are expected to attend.
• * A January conference is being planned with the state's Department of Education, the American School for the Deaf, and Soundbridge (formerly the CREC Hearing Impaired Program). The two-day conference will focus on development writing across the curriculum. A follow-up day in April will allow participants to reconvene to offer feedback on their successes at implementing techniques learned at the January workshop.

DELAWARE:

• * Delaware site coordinator Tracey Connolly, DVR State Coordinator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Loretta Sarro, coordinator of the Delaware Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, have begun developing plans for organizing a consortium, community forums, and training.
• * In late September, they facilitated the first statewide consortium at the Appoquinimink State Service Center in Middletown. Alan Hurwitz presented general information about NETAC to representatives of several postsecondary institutions from around the state.
• * Delaware is developing a resource library of videotapes, books, and articles related to serving students with disabilities at the postsecondary level. Once the library is established, materials will be available for loan within the state.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:

• * District of Columbia site coordinator Kimberley Turner presented a workshop for vocational rehabilitation counselors in training September 22.
• * DC's statewide meeting was held September 25. Project Coordinator Karen Hopkins attended the meeting.

MAINE:

• * Maine site coordinator Barbara Keefe hosted an August 27 workshop for faculty and administrative staff members of the University of New England to discuss ways to support deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the college's master of social work program. Jon Connick, executive director of the Maine Center on Deafness, attended and shared his personal undergraduate experiences.
• * On September 11 and 12, Keefe and Kathy Powers, project director of Maine CITE (Maine's assistive technology grant), hosted a roundtable discussion on issues related to access and universal design-i.e., how to make sure that builders think about accommodations before projects begin, and that product developers think about people's needs before products are created. Alan Hurwitz and Pam Giles, C-Print project coordinator, attended. Giles demonstrated C-Print as an access option for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Roundtable participants included several members of the Governor's Cabinet; Peggy Pendleton, Senate Chair of the Education Committee of the Maine Legislature; Tom Kinney, president of Time Warner of Maine; John Hoy, president of the New England Board of Higher Education; and several national vice presidents of large businesses responsible for new product development. Information about the conference's major points will be distributed to government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses in New England.

MARYLAND:

• * Catonsville Community College, NETAC Maryland's host site, is utilizing C-Print technology; two part-time captionists have been hired and are captioning three classes. Student feedback has been positive and several other students have expressed interest in using C-Print in future classes. Site coordinator Florence Cooney met in September with the Maryland Disability and Higher Education Network to update the group on NETAC activities and to discuss how to keep accurate records of students with disabilities.
• * A September workshop on "Interpreters and Interpreters-in- Training Skill Building" was co-sponsored by the Maryland Department of Rehabilitation Services. The workshop focused on interpreters working in postsecondary settings. More than 50 people attended.
• * In mid-October, Cooney participated in a College Fair at the Maryland School for the Deaf. Presenters provided information and discussed issues related to transitioning.

MASSACHUSETTS:

• * Massachusetts NETAC co-sponsored a transitional college fair with the Gallaudet University Regional Center in early October.
• * On October 23, the group co-sponsored a talk on "Bridging Communities: A Look at One Charter School" by Dr. Samuel Supalla, associate professor and director of sign language/ deaf studies at the University of Arizona. The talk was part of a conference on "ASL and the College Curriculum: Connecting Cultures, Building Partnerships" and was designed for colleges and universities interested in establishing ASL in their college curricula.
• * A student panel and presentation on CART (Computer-As-sisted Real Time Transcription) for reporters working with postsecondary students who are deaf or hard of hearing was planned for late October at Boston University.
• * A statewide meeting of coordinators of postsecondary interpreting services also was planned for October.

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

• * On September 26, NETAC New Hampshire hosted an introductory meeting for colleges, vocational rehabilitation offices, and other state programs serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Alan Hurwitz attended the meeting, where C-Print was demonstrated by Sabina Foote of the University of New Hampshire. Foote attended C-Print training, through NETAC, at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York, this past summer.

NEW JERSEY:

• * The statewide consortium met August 12 ; David Nickerson, a C-Print trainee, gave a C-Print demonstration and presentation. Members are eager to see how the pilot demonstration of C-Print in the classroom goes this year.
• * A statewide conference on "Legal Aspects in Transitioning Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students" was held September 24 at the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton. The conference, featuring attorney Jo Anne Simon, addressed federal and state mandates for transition planning for students with disabilities. Mandates of the ADA and Section 504 also were discussed. More than 60 people attended the conference.
• * New Jersey NETAC plans to present to New Jersey AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability) this spring on assessing deaf students' writing skills and tips on how to improve those skills. Camden County College professor for deaf students Dianne Falvo, formerly of Gallaudet University, will be presenting.

NEW YORK:

• * New York NETAC had its first statewide consortium meeting in August at Hudson Valley Community College. Consortium members represented a range of postsecondary education and training programs from around the state. The group identified some needs and issues for consideration in NETAC technical assistance program planning. Alan Hurwitz attended and presented on NETAC.
• * On September 29 Pam Giles demonstrated C-Print captioning at LaGuardia Community College. The demonstration, for disability coordinators from various schools and universities, school transition counselors, and VESID counselors, was co-supported by LaGuardia's Program for Deaf Adults and the Regional Support Service Center under the Division of Adult and Continuing Education.

PENNSYLVANIA:

• * Site coordinator Lori Hutchison gave a talk on NETAC's goals and objectives to the Pennsylvania Educators of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PESDHH) at its annual meeting in August.
• * A representative from the Hiram G. Andrews Center (HGA), the state's host site, sent one representative to C-Print training at NTID this summer. The captionist currently services students at both Cambria County Area Community College and HGA.
• * A statewide NETAC meeting was held October 22 in State College.

PUERTO RICO:

• * The cooperative agreement was signed in September and the computer system is up and running.
• * The first consortium meeting was held in October 1997.

RHODE ISLAND:

• * Rhode Island NETAC had its first consortium conference September 24. The event attracted disability directors, academic advisors, student development directors, deans, administrative staff, vice presidents of local training schools, hospital training program directors, and local agency participants. Karen Hopkins described NETAC's goals for the next four years. Pam Giles demonstrated the C-Print notetaking system.

VERMONT:

• * Vermont NETAC hosted a training session in September at the University of Vermont for faculty and staff of the college. Representatives from the Community College of Vermont and Johnson State College also attended.