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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/leadertimes/s_396671.html
One of the crowning accomplishments of Zachary Hancock’s life was getting his drivers license at age 20. Hancock’s quest for a license was complicated by the fact that he is totally deaf.
“Sure, deaf people can learn to drive, and they’re good drivers too,” said Bob Rowe, driver training instructor for the Community Action Agency’s training center in Manorville.
“I’ve taught several hundred people to drive through our program here,” he said. “Most were ladies ranging in age from 18 to 50, and I had one student who got her first license at age 74. But when our coordinator, Anita Best, asked me to teach a deaf student, at first I had some doubts. However, Zachary’s mother, Barbara, went along for our first driving lesson and Zach seemed to get the hang of what we were doing pretty quick. I don’t know sign language, but Zach understood everything I wanted him to do and sometimes I’d communicate by writing a short note. When Zach passed his test it was especially gratifying to me. We were both elated.”
Rowe said Hancock, who never had driven before, mastered techniques such as parallel parking and driving in heavy traffic in about six hours of driving time.
“He is very attentive,” Rowe said. “He can’t hear car horns but he is constantly scanning the areas around his car and has excellent visual skills. When he took his test at the testing center in Kittanning, the driver examiners didn’t give him any special treatment. He had to pass just like anyone else, and he did so with flying colors on his first try.”
Hancock’s parents, Barbara and Randy of Spring Church, said Zachary and his sister, Courtney, 18, are both deaf and attend the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Wilkinsburg.
“I work at the school in food service as a nutritionist,” Barbara Hancock said. “Zachary graduated in 2004 after attending there for seven years. He played several sports including basketball and soccer, so we didn’t think it was all that unusual for him to learn to drive. The school has a driving program and about 200 students have learned to drive. But Zachary attended one-half of his school day classes at Forbes Road East Vocational-Technical School in Monroeville to learn carpentry, so he missed the school’s driver training programs. Courtney has her learner’s permit and wants to get her license also.”
Hancock is employed part-time at the Stanford Home Center in Allegheny Township, but wants full-time work as a warehouse shipping or receiving clerk. He said his license has given him some new-found freedoms.
“Now I can look for full-time work,” Hancock said. “My dad works at Stanford so I’d ride with him. But now I can drive myself and I can visit my friends whenever I want. I’m getting my own car this week, and plan to celebrate by taking my girlfriend out to dinner, just the two of us. The freedom is great.”
Rowe said Community Action’s driver training program is in its eighth year and has helped more than 300 people learn to drive. The program is state certified and students may obtain a certificate for insurance purposes.
“We have taught people with disabilities to drive,” he said, “but teaching a totally deaf student is a first for me. I taught a man to drive who could not use his left leg and others who had limited handicaps. We use a car with dual brakes and dual mirrors. The majority of our students are female. Some older clients are a bit fearful, so my first job is to instill confidence in them. Of all our students we’ve only had about four or five who were unsuccessful.”
Program coordinator Anita Best said most people 20 or older want to drive so they can obtain employment or get a better job.
“There’s not a tremendous amount of work in Armstrong County,” Best said, “so in most cases, you have to have a driver’s license got get to work. Our course is not free but we do have income guidelines, and we consider a person’s expenses as well as their income. Some funds may be available through Career Track or the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.”
For more information on the Community Action Driver Training course readers may call Best at 724-763-8132.
One of the crowning accomplishments of Zachary Hancock’s life was getting his drivers license at age 20. Hancock’s quest for a license was complicated by the fact that he is totally deaf.
“Sure, deaf people can learn to drive, and they’re good drivers too,” said Bob Rowe, driver training instructor for the Community Action Agency’s training center in Manorville.
“I’ve taught several hundred people to drive through our program here,” he said. “Most were ladies ranging in age from 18 to 50, and I had one student who got her first license at age 74. But when our coordinator, Anita Best, asked me to teach a deaf student, at first I had some doubts. However, Zachary’s mother, Barbara, went along for our first driving lesson and Zach seemed to get the hang of what we were doing pretty quick. I don’t know sign language, but Zach understood everything I wanted him to do and sometimes I’d communicate by writing a short note. When Zach passed his test it was especially gratifying to me. We were both elated.”
Rowe said Hancock, who never had driven before, mastered techniques such as parallel parking and driving in heavy traffic in about six hours of driving time.
“He is very attentive,” Rowe said. “He can’t hear car horns but he is constantly scanning the areas around his car and has excellent visual skills. When he took his test at the testing center in Kittanning, the driver examiners didn’t give him any special treatment. He had to pass just like anyone else, and he did so with flying colors on his first try.”
Hancock’s parents, Barbara and Randy of Spring Church, said Zachary and his sister, Courtney, 18, are both deaf and attend the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Wilkinsburg.
“I work at the school in food service as a nutritionist,” Barbara Hancock said. “Zachary graduated in 2004 after attending there for seven years. He played several sports including basketball and soccer, so we didn’t think it was all that unusual for him to learn to drive. The school has a driving program and about 200 students have learned to drive. But Zachary attended one-half of his school day classes at Forbes Road East Vocational-Technical School in Monroeville to learn carpentry, so he missed the school’s driver training programs. Courtney has her learner’s permit and wants to get her license also.”
Hancock is employed part-time at the Stanford Home Center in Allegheny Township, but wants full-time work as a warehouse shipping or receiving clerk. He said his license has given him some new-found freedoms.
“Now I can look for full-time work,” Hancock said. “My dad works at Stanford so I’d ride with him. But now I can drive myself and I can visit my friends whenever I want. I’m getting my own car this week, and plan to celebrate by taking my girlfriend out to dinner, just the two of us. The freedom is great.”
Rowe said Community Action’s driver training program is in its eighth year and has helped more than 300 people learn to drive. The program is state certified and students may obtain a certificate for insurance purposes.
“We have taught people with disabilities to drive,” he said, “but teaching a totally deaf student is a first for me. I taught a man to drive who could not use his left leg and others who had limited handicaps. We use a car with dual brakes and dual mirrors. The majority of our students are female. Some older clients are a bit fearful, so my first job is to instill confidence in them. Of all our students we’ve only had about four or five who were unsuccessful.”
Program coordinator Anita Best said most people 20 or older want to drive so they can obtain employment or get a better job.
“There’s not a tremendous amount of work in Armstrong County,” Best said, “so in most cases, you have to have a driver’s license got get to work. Our course is not free but we do have income guidelines, and we consider a person’s expenses as well as their income. Some funds may be available through Career Track or the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.”
For more information on the Community Action Driver Training course readers may call Best at 724-763-8132.