Our Mission

We believe that all deaf people can succeed. thrive. blossom. triumph.

 

As deaf people leave high school and prepare for college or careers, the National Deaf Center wants them to succeed. Our research shows that deaf people are not completing college degrees, getting jobs, or earning as much as hearing people. We’re here to change that.

Chart a Path Toward #DeafSuccess


NDC provides evidence-based strategies to deaf Our team knows firsthand that the transition from high school to life beyond can be a tough one. That’s why we have many different ways to help deaf students and their families, teachers, specialists, and colleges.

  • Hundreds of free resources

  • Personal assistance and referrals

  • Inspiring #DeafSuccess and #DeafAtWork stories

  •  Choose-your-own-adventure game

  • Online classes

  • Community engagement 

  • Groundbreaking research and data
     

Our Impact By The Numbers


Since our launch in 2017, the National Deaf Center has worked toward #DeafSuccess with thousands of people and organizations. And we’re making an impact.

  • 35,417: Downloads of online resources, data reports, and curricula

  • 48,137: Subscribers to eNewsletter and professional listserv

  • 6,812: Online courses completed

  • 2,286: Deafverse players

  • 63: Cities, states, and territories participating in Engage for Change

  • 48: Partnerships with colleges, universities, and national centers

About Us


The National Deaf Center’s mission is to close the substantial gaps in education and employment that exist for deaf people in the United States and its territories. We are a technical assistance and dissemination center federally funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to provide evidence-based strategies at the local, state, and national levels. The National Deaf Center is located at the University of Texas at Austin, based in the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the College of Education. Stephanie Cawthon, PhD, directs the National Deaf Center. An internationally-recognized expert on deaf education, Dr. Cawthon co-authored the book Shifting the Dialog, Shifting the Culture: Pathways to Successful Postsecondary Outcomes for Deaf Individuals with Assistant Director Carrie Lou Garberoglio, PhD.