Deaf/HH Hub of Excellence

The University of Rochester and Rochester Institute for Technology have a demonstrated history of partnering to advance the opportunities for Deaf/HH students at both institutions as well as in the greater Rochester, NY community.  Researchers at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) have concluded, "with some certainty," that Rochester has the largest Deaf/HH per capita population in the country among those ages 18 to 64.

We have an unparalleled spectrum of resources for Deaf/HH individuals including NTID at RIT and the Rochester School For the Deaf in the community, as well as the Deaf Wellness Center and the National Center for Deaf Health Research, a Prevention Research Center supported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at URMC.

Rochester’s academic institutions and community are dedicated to advancing the educational and career opportunities of Deaf/HH individuals as part of a larger initiative to become a National Center of Excellence promoting these efforts. Since 2013, URMC and RIT have partnered through a training grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to facilitate the transition from master’s degree programs at RIT to doctoral programs the URMC called Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate. The Rochester Postdoc Partnership builds on this initiative by providing mentored training in research and education tailored to the individual postdoctoral fellow’s research interests and career goals.