Positive Approaches Journal, Volume 11, Issue 3

Volume 11 ► Issue 3 ► November 2022

Available Employment Supports for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind with Additional Disabilities

Russell L. Goddard, Jr., MRC, CRC

According to the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes, only 53% of deaf individuals in 2017 participated in the labor force, compared to almost 76% of those without hearing loss.¹ However, this statistic takes into consideration the entirety of the deaf population, including race, gender, and the presence of other disabilities.  If only considering deafdisabled people, defined in the report as those who are deaf and with at least one other disability, such as cognitive disabilities, autism, mental illness, and physical disabilities, that statistic drops to only 39%.¹ Within the category of deafdisabled individuals, those who are deafblind report the highest employment rates, while those requiring assistance with personal care or independent living report the lowest employment rates. In addition, more deafdisabled people (33.4%) work part-time than those who are deaf without additional disabilities (23.2%).  Depending on the type of additional disabilities a deafdisabled person may have, there is a pay disparity of as much as $10,000 between those who are deafdisabled and those who are deaf with no additional disabilities.  In addition to having the greatest disparity in income, those who are deafdisabled with independent living difficulties report an employment rate of only 19.9%, compared to 71.9% for deaf individuals with no additional disabilities.

One of the few available resources to combat the issue of low employment rates among the deaf population is through the state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) program.  This program has existed in one form or another for over a hundred years.  The US government created the vocational rehabilitation system in 1918 through the Smith-Sears Veterans Rehabilitation Act to provide vocational rehabilitation services for veterans who became disabled during World War I.  Two years later, the Smith-Fess Act was passed to bring vocational rehabilitation services to the civilian population.  The 1920 Smith-Fess Act initially provided vocational rehabilitation services only to those with physical disabilities, and only provided vocational counseling and guidance, training, occupational adjustment, prosthetics, and placement services.  Over the next several decades, a series of amendments and new legislation expanded the scope of VR services to include those with cognitive disabilities, developmental disabilities, sensory disabilities, and those with drug and alcohol addiction.  In addition, the menu of services expanded to include physical and mental restoration services, supported employment services, and rehabilitation technology and engineering.  The VR system is currently operating under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act as amended by the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which added additional emphasis on high school students with disabilities to obtain critical pre-employment transition services.  Other federal legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and the Social Security Act, all supported the concept of employment for individuals with disabilities through their own regulations.

Highly individualized services for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind populations is a relatively new phenomenon.  Between 1964 and 1965, there was a worldwide epidemic of rubella, also known as German measles.  Babies who were born with German measles tended to be born deaf.  As this population of deaf individuals grew up and were starting to access vocational rehabilitation services, VR agencies across the nation needed guidance on providing services to this population to address their vocational needs.  To address potential shortcomings in providing VR services for this population, the Model State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Deaf People (MSP) was first developed in 1973, with several revisions and expansions to the MSP happening in the years since.  The MSP provides guidance on VR services that were thought to be effective with this population, including sign language interpreters, technology such as TTYs, and VR agency staff and personnel who are charged with implementing portions of the MSP in their agencies.  The latest iteration of the MSP was published earlier this year, and this author is one of the contributors for this document.²

While a formal set of guidelines for serving the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind populations were established almost 50 years ago, it wasn’t until the last 25 years when additional attention was paid toward deafdisabled individuals who are receiving Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) services.  In 1999, a publication by the Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, an institute funded by the US Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), “Serving Individuals Who Are Low-Functioning Deaf,” provided additional technical guidance on serving those who are deafdisabled.  In this report, several characteristics that identify individuals who are low-functioning deaf include inadequate communication skills, deficiencies in behavioral, emotional, and social adjustment, deficiencies in independent living skills, and deficiencies in educational and transitional skills.³  Combined with functional limitations in communication, other additional disabilities such as autism, mental health issues, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental disabilities impose additional unique challenges that require a highly individualized and personalized set of VR services designed to help the individual achieve competitive integrated employment.

Within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), an office located within the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I), holds the sole responsibility for administering the state-federal VR program.  The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation receives federal matching funds through RSA to administer the statewide VR program for Pennsylvanians with disabilities.  In addition, OVR develops partnerships with other agencies and organizations, such as the PA Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), the PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), and the Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services (BJJS) to enhance service delivery to those who need additional services beyond what OVR may provide in-house.

Vocational Rehabilitation services are available to those with any eligible person with a disability or disabilities.  To receive VR services, a person must have an impairment that imposes functional limitations on their ability to obtain, retain, or advance in competitive integrated employment (CIE), must require VR services to overcome such functional limitations, and must benefit from VR services.  Individuals with disabilities who apply for VR services are presumed to benefit in terms of an employment outcome unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the individual cannot benefit from VR services. Those who receive certain SSA benefits due to their disabilities are presumed to be eligible for VR services unless there is clear and convincing evidence that they cannot benefit from VR services.

Once an individual is made eligible for OVR services, the VR counselor and the customer start discussing the customer’s Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).  The OVR may provide a wide range of individualized services that may include college training, short-term training, job coaching, hearing aids, sign language interpreters, tools and clothing for employees, and counseling and guidance from the VR counselor, to name a few possible services.  To assist with the development of the IPE, the VR counselor may obtain additional information from a service coordinator, educational staff, and/or the customer’s family or legal guardians, as well as any treating medical professionals and personnel within the criminal justice system such as a parole officer or probation officer, to name a few.  The purpose of obtaining additional information is to help the VR counselor paint a more complete picture of the customer, including their abilities and disabilities, their available resources, transportation options, their interests, options for services and service providers, and their legal status with the criminal justice system.  Once all the necessary information is gathered and analyzed by the VR counselor, an IPE is then developed and agreed upon between the VR staff and the customer.  The VR counselor then follows along with the customer in ensuring the services that are delivered to the customer assist them with achieving, retaining, or advancing in their regular jobs.  In some cases, waiver funding may be used for extended supported employment services after OVR closes their case after 90 days on the job.

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation relies on its relationships and connections with the various non-profit organizations, Commonwealth agencies, and businesses that provide medical services to deliver individualized services for customers to assist them with achieving competitive integrated employment.  As an example of the type of cooperation needed to assist individuals who are deafdisabled, below is an actual case story from M. Cook, MA (email communication, September 2022) that illustrates how OVR works with other agencies to assist this customer with complex medical needs with achieving competitive integrated employment.

John is a 22-year-old young man with an intellectual disability, profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and visual challenge to both eyes with significantly decreased vision mostly to the left eye due to CHARGE syndrome, a genetic disorder which can affect multiple organs in the body. Several years ago, while a student at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD), he applied for OVR, and he wanted to work in a competitive work environment upon graduation.  Through vocational counseling and guidance, he and his VR counselor narrowed his vocational choices to hospital patient transporter, stocking, and bakery. It was clear during the initial interview and IPE development that John is hard worker, determined, motivated, curious, and has good endurance. He was a student at PSD from September 2005 until December 2020, following an adapted academic program, but stayed at PSD as he was on the ACT 22 program until end of August 2022. He completed paid work experience (PWE) in the spring of 2022 with job coaching support at Weis Markets in Macungie, completing his tasks in bakery and stocking/re-shop. He also received orientation and mobility (O&M) services provided by the school district.

John has applied to this location as the general manager expressed interest in hiring him as a part-time employee.  The general manager, upon acknowledging John’s commitment to Weis through years of volunteer service at Weis through services provided by the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living’s Living Independently for Everyone (LVCIL LIFE) program, has offered him the potential opportunity to transition from being a Weis volunteer to a Weis paid part-time employee. His work tasks are bakery and front end-re-stop.  He has a Licensed Registered Nurse (LRN) that accompanies him in the community to support him with any medical needs when he is working.

At PSD, in addition to an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, he was encouraged to use Proloquo2Go on his iPhone and iPad, but he indicated his preference to use an ASL interpreter.  In discussing employment, his parents were notified that OVR will not pay for interpreters for his career life.  He was referred for an assistive technology (AT) evaluation to see if he could have accommodations for his work.  As a result of the evaluation, OVR purchased an iPad and Prolongo2 software so he can be as independent as possible in the community.  The plan is to trial video remote interpreting services (VRI) to allow him to connect with an interpreter while in the community, thus increasing his independence. Funds from the Consolidated Waiver will fund the VRI service. 

John completed two community-based work assessments (CBWA) on the job to identify work environment issues and concerns as well as identify supports needed moving from PWE to part time employment working twenty hours per week.  The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation has funded phase 1 and 2 of supported employment services for him to begin his employment at Weis. He receives services from ODP and has a consolidated waiver. Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs is working to add interpreter services to their list of services provided, however, this is expected to take some time.  In the interim, OVR will fund an interpreter while John is working with a job coach.  The OVR will transition the supported employment services and ASL interpreter services to waiver funding and move case to a successful closure once customer is stable for 90 days at Weis and when either waiver funding is in place to provide an interpreter, or it is determined that the trial of VRI is successful and meets the customer’s communication needs.   Additionally, John will be evaluated for the need for additional O&M services should that be required on the job.  John is very excited to begin his part-time employment at Weis.

Thanks to the services available through OVR and their many collaborative partners, OVR customers like John can access specialized employment supports and have a chance to experience competitive integrated employment in a community setting.  More importantly, the services provided to customers like John promotes independent living, self-determination, and greater participation in their local communities.

Russell L. Goddard, Jr. works for the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation as the Statewide Coordinator of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Services.  In his position, Russ provides technical assistance to OVR field staff and central office staff with issues related to the provision of services for deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind OVR customers.  Russ has a total of 23 years of experience in vocational rehabilitation, first as a rehabilitation counselor for the deaf and hard of hearing in the state of Ohio, then continuing in the same capacity for PA OVR before assuming the role of his current position.  Russ himself has a hearing loss, bringing into this position a wealth of personal and professional knowledge about adult services, and educational and transition services for high school students with hearing loss.

Contact Information

Russell L. Goddard, Jr., MRC, CRC

Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Statewide Coordinator of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind Services