Ohio School for the Deaf visits Our Experiential Learning Center

Last week, we were thrilled to welcome the Ohio School for the Deaf back to our Junior Achievement Learning Center of Columbus supported by Bread Financial. We met with Experiential Learning Center Program Managers Sonia Byers and Torie Maurer to learn about how they worked to make our Junior Achievement Finance Park and Junior Achievement BizTown programs more accessible for Ohio School for the Deaf students. In preparation for the visit, Sonia and Torie met with educators and interpreters from the Ohio School for the Deaf, as well as Todd Higgins, Director of the Gallaudet University Regional Center. Gallaudet University is a federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., renowned for its education, research, and outreach for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. During these planning meetings, we received feedback on our programs and space and made accessibility changes accordingly.

JA BizTown and JA Finance Park combines in-class learning with a day-long field trip to one of our experiential learning centers. JA BizTown, allows elementary school students to operate banks, manage restaurants, write checks, and vote for mayor in a simulated town where they are adults for the day. JA Finance Park is designed to provide middle and high school students with essential financial literacy and career exploration skills. Through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on simulation, students learn to make informed financial decisions that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Communication and preparation for Ohio School for the Deaf were more extensive than with other school visits. As educators, volunteers, and students continued preparing for their visit, they were sent materials such as maps of our Learning Center spaces, instructor information packets, and extra student materials, including surveys and video program overviews. “I used the regular training that I’d normally do, but then I just added to it,” shared Torie Maurer, Learning Center Manager for JA Finance Park. “I went more in depth, used more pictures, and showed them what each of the screens would look like along the way.”

In addition to preparation on the school’s side, JA instructors also received additional training. A key focus was interpreter etiquette, specifically, looking directly at the person you are speaking to rather than the interpreter, and speaking at a reasonable volume.

To make JA Finance Park and JA BizTown more accessible for Deaf students, Learning Center Managers focused on both curriculum updates and physical changes to the Learning Center space. One of the most exciting improvements made to JA BizTown was the addition of TV screens in each pod. These screens, installed last year prior to the first Ohio School for the Deaf visit, allow students to view announcements without relying on an interpreter. While especially impactful for Deaf students, these screens also support hearing students when the space becomes loud or when there are technical difficulties with the microphone system.

Additional physical changes included rearranging furniture, installing and adjusting lighting, and adding bold, written labels throughout the space. Rearranging furniture was one of the most noticeable changes. Tables and chairs were rotated so students could face instructors, screens, and one another without needing to move. This ensured students could follow directions without interruption.

The lighting changes were also introduced to support communication. In JABT, red, green, and yellow lights were installed in hallway arches to color group announcements. In JAFP, lights flickered to indicate when it was time to change pods. Printed labels were added to desks, stations, folders, and binders to clearly communicate which materials or spaces were needed.

One major programmatic change made to both JABT and JAFP was the addition of more time. Program Managers anticipated that the interpretation would require nearly twice the usual time and built that into the schedule. In JAFP, pod times were extended from six minutes to nine minutes, and JABT ran several hours longer than a typical program day.

While Program Managers felt confident in creating a successful experience for Deaf students, they also understood that it wouldn’t be perfect. What they do know, however, was that accessibility improvements benefit all students.

“We’re gonna do some things wrong. My apologies in advance,” said Sonia Byers, Learning Center Manager for JA BizTown. “But this is us growing and learning, and we’re gonna make changes when we need to. Everybody should have the same playing field… I do a lot of work not only with the Ohio School for the Deaf, but with schools [that need accommodations] every day. We will find a way.”