Education - Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf

Community College Just for Deaf Students

If you live in the big state of Texas and your deaf or hard of hearing teen is not quite ready for a four-year college, you might want to consider a community college program for the deaf in Big Spring, Texas. SWCID, the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf, part of Howard College, is the only community college program only for deaf/hoh students.

In addition to preparing deaf students for employment or transfer to a four-year program, the college offers interpreter training and other programs for hearing undergraduate students. SWCID was officially launched in Fall 1980. Deaf students have the choice of staying in self-contained classes or mainstreaming into classes elsewhere at Howard.

Although SWCID is based in Texas, students from outside of Texas may attend. This was confirmed by a visitor to About.com, who personally knows students from outside of Texas that have attended SWCID.

The college offers things that would be expected at a college for the deaf - audiological services, library services, internet access, a media center, and a career resource center. SWCID has a Hawk Review yearbook, Thistles, the literary magazine, and the Rattler newspaper.

Last but not least, jobs are available at SWCID, and are listed on the main Howard jobs page.