Transition and Employment FAQs

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs can help identify a suitable career path, and provide funding and services to reach a career goal. VR services are determined based on the person’s needs and goals, but can include the following:

• Assessments to evaluate career interests and readiness for eligibility and services.

• Assistive Technologies to support communication (e.g., hearing aids, flashing/vibrating alarm clocks, captioned telephones, personal amplifiers, screen braille communicators and more).

• Accommodations to participate in training or work (e.g., interpreting and speech-to-text services).

• Training for future vocational or educational goals (e.g. resources for on-the-job training, funds for tuition, books, supplies and tutoring).

• Transportation to training or work (e.g. monthly public transportation or mileage).

• Equipment and clothing to participate in training or employment.

• Other Services to support an individual to obtain, maintain and retain employment.

Many VR offices remain open and continue to work with individuals remotely. Not yet a client with VR? Contact your local VR office to apply. NDC has created the following outline and checklist, Plan Your Future: A Guide to Vocational Rehabilitation for Deaf Youth that you may use to prepare for your VR appointment to help you secure services.

Yes! VR provides Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to deaf youth still attending school. Pre-ETS covers five areas for youth to become ready for training, education and employment after high school:

1. Job Exploration: discover how interests, passions and abilities match with certain careers.

2. Work-Based Learning: work in real-life employment settings to practice, learn and apply skills.

3. Postsecondary Counseling: plan ahead and work towards a career goal through vocational training, college or other training programs.

4. Work Readiness Training: acquire different skills in communicating, working with others, problem-solving and practicing professionalism.

5. Instruction in Self-Advocacy: learn what and how to ask for accommodations at college, training programs or work.

Work with your Individualized Education Plan team to ensure that Pre-ETS and VR are included in your plan or directly apply to your local VR office! VR can include families, teachers and the IEP team to make sure everyone is on the same page to prepare for life after high school. Families should participate in meetings with VR to provide additional support, information and guidance. If the deaf student is below 18, a guardian is required to sign off on paperwork.

• Play Deafverse, a choose-your-own-adventure game, to foster self-determination and develop self-advocacy skills.

• Take the Self-Determination Inventory and work on areas to improve self-determination based on an individualized report.

• Take online transition assessments to connect interests to careers and learn about different skills needed for life after high school.

• Watch #DeafSuccess community stories of deaf professionals to learn about the skills and self-beliefs necessary to reach career goals.

• Learn how to build a resume.

• Practice interview skills by doing mock interviews with family members or through online platforms with teachers, classmates, and/or friends.

• Learn and practice independent living skills at home.

• Meet remotely with the school’s IEP team for more ideas and strategies to develop transition skills.

• Get connected remotely with vocational rehabilitation to receive support for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS).

• Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, meetings with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) staff, and other Pre-ETS meetings can happen over the phone or in person if following required health protocols. Consider telecommunication relay services for phone calls as needed for deaf participants.

• Download and share online transition resources in alternative formats (e.g. paper or flash drives) to share with students and families.

• Discuss what students have learned through mail-in surveys and/or calls.

• Partner with local access television to broadcast Pre-ETS lessons.

• Identify programs to support deaf students’ access to technology

  • EveryoneOn: Low-Cost Internet Service and Computers search tool

  • FCC: Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications

  • iCanConnect: State directory for deafblind assistive technologies

  • National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center: Program Directory

  • Request telecommunication equipment from Vocational Rehabilitation.

• Provide a paper copy of the Deafverse Choose Your Future! Activity Kit to better understand the student’s communication needs, personalities traits and skills and develop self-determination.

• Join our listserv to gather ideas from other professionals working with deaf students with limited access to internet and technology.

• Provide online resources including training and suggested curriculums to teachers, transition specialists and Pre-ETS providers.

• Adapt in-person camps, programs, fairs and similar events to take place online through a video conferencing platform or self-paced modules.

• Incorporate regular online social hours to provide students opportunities to connect and socialize.

• Put together an online panel of deaf professional role-models to share their experiences and answer questions.

• Consider a hybrid approach by providing online work readiness training followed by in-person paid work experiences in the community incorporating safety measures such as social distancing, hand washing and face masks.

For additional resources and ideas, see NDC's Pre-ETS page, online courses, and list of transition checklists/tools.

NDC has compiled a list of Transition/Life Skills Checklists and Resources.

• Job Accommodations Network (JAN) provides free accessibility consultations with employers and individuals navigating various workplace scenarios.

• DeafTec’s “Working Together: Deaf and Hearing People” is an online course for employers, co-workers, HR staff and others to learn about building an inclusive work environment.

• Connect with your local Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office for guidance on building accessibility and accommodations for deaf individuals in the workplace.

• The National Association of the Deaf: Employment and VR page offers information on where to find resources on accessibility initiatives. 

• NDC offers specific resources for learning more about accessibility in the workplace: Resources: 

  • Self-Advocacy: Navigating Disclosure in the Workplace

  • Deaf at Work 

  • Creating Access: Internships and Field Experiences

  • Deaf Medical Students: Internships and Clinical Accommodations 

  • You may also take our free eLearning courses Deaf 101 and/or the Effective Communication Access series to learn more about working with deaf individuals.

• Your ADA Regional Center may offer technical assistance regarding ADA accommodations in employment and other settings. 

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides information about employment discrimination and your rights for reasonable accommodations under the ADA. Employees can also file a Charge of Discrimination against an employer and receive assistance from the EEOC to take remedial action. 

• Find your state’s disability rights affiliated organization by searching the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) for advocacy or legal support. 

• Search for your regional Office of Civil Rights (OCR) center for support.

• The NAD Law and Advocacy Center provides legal information about deaf-related issues. 

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association is an organization of deaf and hard of hearing lawyers.