The transition from high school to further education, training, or career is a pivotal time for young people. Marginalized groups – including deaf students – are especially vulnerable during this time, and access to services is critical to ensuring success.

The lived experience and knowledge of deaf community members must guide policy changes, strategic planning, and programs that are designed to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for deaf people in the United States. In reality, however, this is seldom the case. Decisions are made for, and on behalf of, deaf people without involving them every day.

Leaders in education and vocational rehabilitation (VR) met throughout the summer and fall in Engage for Change | state (EFC) online regional meetings organized by the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) — determined to advance their short-term pandemic response and proactively create long-term strategies to improve services, support, and outreach to deaf youth.

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies nationwide have faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they strived to connect with isolated deaf students, overcome technology issues, and continue to support access to Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), vocational training, and employment.

Stephanie Zito and Lore Kinast, Technical Assistance Specialists at the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC), will present at AHEAD 2020: Equity and Excellence, a national online conference featuring experts on access in higher education.

Researchers from the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) were originally scheduled to make seven presentations — the most ever at a conference by NDC staff — at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2020 Annual Meeting on April 17-21, the world’s largest gathering of education researchers and a showcase for innovative studies.

NDC is on the road presenting at not one, but TWO different conferences this week. We are in Washington, D.C., Monday through Wednesday at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) conference, and starting Wednesday, we will be at the OCALICON conference in Columbus, Ohio.