Resources: Parents

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) work together to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion, discrimination, and unequal treatment in education, employment, and the community.

Strengthening community networks and connections increases social capital, the advantage gained through relationships and social networks. Social capital can help individuals navigate complex school and workplace situations.

This two-part video explains the Americans With Disabilities Act and how it applies to postsecondary education for students who are deaf.

The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes conducted a review of the literature on practices that address root causes of challenges to deaf individuals' postsecondary attainment and identified five key impact areas. Evidence-based summaries of each of the five key impact areas are included in the document.

Effective communication affords deaf individuals the ability to share and/or receive information in a manner that is successful for them. Effective communication increases the opportunity for full and equal participation in any situation. Effective communication is fluid and allows all parties to receive and respond to information equally.

Regardless of one's role in administering an assessment—as a professor in a college course or a psychological examiner conducting an evaluation—test providers recognize the importance of obtaining an accurate measurement of student learning, knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and skills.

Captions are the textual representation of audio content in a video format, communicating spoken dialogue, sound effects, and speaker identification. Captions provide essential access for the more than 30 million Americans with a hearing loss. They also benefit emerging readers, visual learners, non-native speakers, and many others.

Background noise and distance from the instructor may present barriers for some deaf students. When this is the case, assistive listening systems can play a role in reducing or eliminating these barriers.

Today's technology affords deaf individuals access to the world like never before. Speech-to-text is one example of technology that brings access to individuals who are visual communicators.

This study explored professionals' perspectives on what contributes to successful transition for deaf individuals, as well as their perceived professional preparedness to support that transition.

Note taking is the practice of capturing important pieces of information in a systematic way. It is not limited to the classroom. Note taking is an important accommodation in any situation requiring learning, including job sites and internships. Effective note taking is a skill that is acquired through training and strengthened through practice. It is an accommodation that deaf individuals rely on when they are in an environment of learning. In fact, research conducted with deaf college students indicates that most students view note taking as a very useful support.

With technology always seemingly one step ahead of us, it's easy to confuse the various telecommunication services used to visually connect hearing and deaf individuals who wish to communicate with each other. Three primary telecommunication services are in use today: (a) video relay service (VRS), (b) telecommunications relay service (TRS), and (c) video remote interpreting (VRI). VRS and TRS are free programs regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, and VRI is a fee-based service that satisfies the communication-related mandates of the Americans With Disabilities Act. As their names suggest, VRS and VRI are video-based services, and TRS is text driven.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the most current data on educational attainment trends and trajectories for deaf individuals in the United States, serving as a resource for community members, educators, researchers, and policymakers.

Telecommunication technology has significantly changed the communication landscape for deaf individuals. For more than 40 years, text telephones (TTY) and amplified phones were the only options. Today, videophones, smartphones, and instant messaging most often replace TTY as preferred communication tools.

Having high expectations for deaf individuals' postsecondary success means believing in their capability to succeed and not believing their opportunities are limited due to being deaf. These high expectations are important as deaf youth navigate the transition from high school to postsecondary education or training.
 

Approximately 20% of the adult population has a disability. Most deaf individuals do not seek vocational rehabilitation services, but those who do most often want employment-related services or education and/or training to prepare for employment.

Deciding how, when, and why to disclose a disability to an employer is an important part of the job-seeking process. The decision can significantly affect one's ability to obtain and maintain employment. The different stages of the employment process and the potential impacts of disclosure at each stage deserve thoughtful reflection.
 

At the nucleus of every successful vocational rehabilitation employment goal is a well-delineated individual plan for employment, often referred to as a roadmap of services that lead to employment. By better understanding the myriad services offered by vocational rehabilitation, a deaf individual is better positioned to make informed and self-determined choices about their employment future. Vocational rehabilitation offers a wide range of services. Some services are tangible, such as an alarm clock, uniform for work, hearing aid, etc. Other services are more intangible in nature, such as counseling, soft skills training, or career guidance.

This study explored the role of self-beliefs in predicting postsecondary outcomes for deaf young adults in transition from secondary settings, through a secondary analysis of the second National Longitudinal Transition Study.

This study synthesized the literature on role models for deaf individuals and identified key themes across the research literature.

This study assessed the influence of social skills on postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals through a secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study.

Late-deafened individuals experience a variety of challenges navigating the postsecondary environment due to a variety of internal and external factors. This document summarizes the research related to postsecondary outcomes for late-deafened individuals.

This study assessed the influence of English literacy skills on postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals, through a secondary analysis of data from National Longitudinal Transition Study 2.

This study explored how vocational rehabilitation counselors promote the self-advocacy knowledge and skills of their deaf consumers within postsecondary employment and educational contexts.

This study used data from National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 to explore the hypothesis that increased access to English through computer-mediated communication (CMC) can increase direct access to language and literacy for deaf individuals.

This study assessed whether parent involvement and expectations predicted postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals, through a secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study.

This study explored how communication technology use may predict postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals through a secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study.

This research brief summarizes how families play an important role in influencing the educational and occupational outcomes of deaf children.

This study used data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study to assess differences in academic achievement among deaf students with and without learning disabilities.