Miss-Delectable
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NJ.com: Everything Jersey
After two years of patient waiting, the students at the New Jersey School for the Deaf Katzenbach campus, a public residential institution for the deaf and disabled, have a new state-of-the-art kitchen to call their own.
This Tuesday, the $50,000 high-tech kitchen, funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education, was unveiled to the delight of dozens of students and faculty members. The kitchen is housed in a wing devoted entirely to teaching the skills multi-disabled students need for independent living and transition after graduation.
"It is beautiful," signed one high school senior student who has been enrolled in the school since she was 5 years old. "It is a beautiful new kitchen."
The kitchen is compliant with the standards outlined by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides disabled people with reasonable accommodations in the workplace. According to the school's technology coordinator, David Sipe, the smallest details can make a big difference for individuals with physical handicaps.
"Our new kitchen door is wider, and there is no lip on the floor to hinder a wheelchair. There are no knobs in the kitchen -- only handles that can be easily turned," said Sipe, who spearheaded the project. "We had to do this for our kids. Now they can do everything everyone else can do."
The kitchen is equipped with a washer, dryer, refrigerator, convection oven and a sink all built at a height optimal for wheelchair accessibility. The students who will utilize the kitchen for practicing living skills have handicaps in addition to deafness. The school's multi-disabled population is growing, Sipe said.
"Two or three years ago, I didn't feel that our students were getting the best in technology and academics," Sipe said. "Multi-disabled students need a lot more to succeed. It's been our project to upgrade everything and give them the best we can."
Over recent years, the school has received funds from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act to improve the technology in their classrooms. The improvements include installing "Smart Boards" (interactive white boards that can be connected to a computer) and touch screens on every computer.
"This is functional academics," said Judy Ferguson, a vocational trainer and teacher for upperclassmen. "We're looking at what these students need to be independent adults."
Many multi-disabled students will find group homes and supportive employment after graduation, but faculty members say their goal is to have their students function with as little assistance as possible. "The new kitchen will help me understand better when I help at home," signed a freshman day student. "In the future I hope to live with friends in an apartment."
Most students will have been at the school for 10 years when they graduate. The Katzenbach campus teaches deaf and disabled individuals as young as 3 years old in their "early intervention" program. The school offers its 223-student population part-time paid working opportunities for all upperclassmen, dorm housing four nights a week and various recreational and volunteer activities.
"We want to make sure they have everything they need," Sipe said. "It is my personal goal to get them the best of everything."
After two years of patient waiting, the students at the New Jersey School for the Deaf Katzenbach campus, a public residential institution for the deaf and disabled, have a new state-of-the-art kitchen to call their own.
This Tuesday, the $50,000 high-tech kitchen, funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education, was unveiled to the delight of dozens of students and faculty members. The kitchen is housed in a wing devoted entirely to teaching the skills multi-disabled students need for independent living and transition after graduation.
"It is beautiful," signed one high school senior student who has been enrolled in the school since she was 5 years old. "It is a beautiful new kitchen."
The kitchen is compliant with the standards outlined by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides disabled people with reasonable accommodations in the workplace. According to the school's technology coordinator, David Sipe, the smallest details can make a big difference for individuals with physical handicaps.
"Our new kitchen door is wider, and there is no lip on the floor to hinder a wheelchair. There are no knobs in the kitchen -- only handles that can be easily turned," said Sipe, who spearheaded the project. "We had to do this for our kids. Now they can do everything everyone else can do."
The kitchen is equipped with a washer, dryer, refrigerator, convection oven and a sink all built at a height optimal for wheelchair accessibility. The students who will utilize the kitchen for practicing living skills have handicaps in addition to deafness. The school's multi-disabled population is growing, Sipe said.
"Two or three years ago, I didn't feel that our students were getting the best in technology and academics," Sipe said. "Multi-disabled students need a lot more to succeed. It's been our project to upgrade everything and give them the best we can."
Over recent years, the school has received funds from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act to improve the technology in their classrooms. The improvements include installing "Smart Boards" (interactive white boards that can be connected to a computer) and touch screens on every computer.
"This is functional academics," said Judy Ferguson, a vocational trainer and teacher for upperclassmen. "We're looking at what these students need to be independent adults."
Many multi-disabled students will find group homes and supportive employment after graduation, but faculty members say their goal is to have their students function with as little assistance as possible. "The new kitchen will help me understand better when I help at home," signed a freshman day student. "In the future I hope to live with friends in an apartment."
Most students will have been at the school for 10 years when they graduate. The Katzenbach campus teaches deaf and disabled individuals as young as 3 years old in their "early intervention" program. The school offers its 223-student population part-time paid working opportunities for all upperclassmen, dorm housing four nights a week and various recreational and volunteer activities.
"We want to make sure they have everything they need," Sipe said. "It is my personal goal to get them the best of everything."