NTID computing graduate from Ghana hopes to remove barriers to communication and accessibility

Charles Coleman Jr., a fourth-year student from Ghana, is graduating this May with a BS in computing and information technologies after previously earning his AAS in applied computer technology.

Throughout his time on campus, Charles has been a champion for accessibility, inclusion, and instructional technology. He contributed significantly to NTID’s shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he helped develop the Inclusive Course Design certificate program. Currently, Charles serves as an Instructional Technology Coordinator, where he bridges technical expertise with user support. 

Below, Charles shares a bit about his background, what inspired him to come to RIT, and his future goals.

Tell us about your background.

My life began in Ghana, in complete silence. I didn’t learn any language - not even sign language - until I was 12. Before that, I had no access to communication, no words, no language, no way to ask questions or express emotions. I was simply trying to survive in my own mind. But my father believed in me, and when he realized I couldn’t read or write, he fought for me to have an opportunity in the future.

How did you find out about RIT, and why did you choose to come here?

I had just finished secondary school in Ghana and was sitting in a Deaf church in Washington D.C., trying to figure out my next chapter, when a Deaf couple struck up a conversation with me. They asked what I wanted to do. I told them I wanted to work in tech, to build tools that help people like me navigate a world full of barriers. That's when they mentioned NTID and RIT.

So I Googled RIT, and what I found stopped me: diverse students, Deaf, hearing, international, smiling and working side-by-side in labs. I turned to my mom and signed, "I want to go there."

RIT felt less like a separate space and more like a bridge. And I've always believed that you cannot build technology for everyone if you've never been in a room with the people who will actually use it.

When did you first become interested in information technology?

In Ghana, my high school had no physical computers, so I drew them. Every component, every connection, from the power button to Windows loading up, sketched by hand from memory. That was how I learned.

My first real window to the world was a Sony Ericsson phone my mom sent so I could text her. The first thing I did was search for pictures of Barack Obama and Bill Gates. I can still see my classmates crowding around that tiny screen, shouting with excitement. Because writing felt like a second language to me growing up, those images explained the world in a way words couldn't yet.

My first hands-on computing experience came at NTID, where we assembled a PC from scratch. I still remember my hands shaking a little as I matched components together, the motherboard, the memory sticks, the cables, recalling every sketch I had drawn back in Ghana. When I finally pressed the power button and watched the lights flicker on, it felt like years of imagining suddenly came alive. I knew in that moment exactly what I was meant to do.

What has been your favorite experience at RIT?

Last year, my team built the RIT DIO Membership Tracker, a system for the Diversity and Initiatives Office serving groups like Women in Computing and the Computing Organization for Multicultural Students. Our goal was to make membership management smoother, events easier to organize, and communication more accessible for everyone involved. 

What made our team special wasn't our technical skills alone. We had students from computing and information technologies, human-centered computing, and web and mobile computing. We also had two Deaf students, including myself, and perspectives that covered accessibility, community building, and inclusive design all at once.

When the client chose our team over the others, I remember thinking, “This is exactly why I came to RIT.” They didn't just pick the strongest code. They picked the team where every perspective was represented in the final product. That moment proved what I have believed since I was twelve: inclusion isn't something you add at the end. It is the foundation of something that actually works for everyone. And RIT gave me the community to prove it.

What are your goals for the future?

In my career, I hope to make access costless. Access to technology shouldn't require a specific language, a certain background, or a particular level of education. It shouldn't trigger stress or self-doubt in the people who need it most.

My goal is simple. I want to make sure everyone has a seat at the table where the future is being built. Because if the people building technology don't reflect the full range of human experience, someone will always get left out. Technology shouldn't be a barrier; it should be a lifeline.