Effect of Postsecondary Education on the Economic Status of Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Abstract

This article examines the effect that postsecondary education has on earnings and the duration of time spent in the Social Security disability programs for young persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our hypothesis is that investments in postsecondary training increase the likelihood of employment for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and thus reduce dependency on disability-related income support programs. A longitudinal data set based upon records from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Social Security administrative records is used for this analysis. We find that those who graduate, even those who graduate with vocational degrees, experience significant earnings benefits and reductions in the duration of time spent on federal disability programs when compared with those who do not graduate with a degree. This finding suggests that reductions in the duration of time spent on Social Security programs are not limited to those with the highest level of scholastic aptitude and that investments in post-secondary education can benefit a broad group of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. In addition, the data show that individuals who attend college, but withdraw before graduation, fair no better economically than individuals who never attended college.

Hearing people perceiving deaf people through sign language interpreters at work: on the loss of self through interpreted communication

“…In the past 25 years there has been a marked rise in deaf people, in the U.K. and in other developed nations, taking on white collar professional roles and middle and senior management posts in workplaces and organizations where hearing speaking people predominate (Schley et al, 2011;Schroedel & Geyer, 2000). In part this is a result of a rise in educational attainment associated with better access to quality education (Rydberg, Gellerstedt, & Danermark, 2011).…”

Moving forward with dignity: Exploring health awareness in an isolated Deaf community of Australia

“…Overall, post-secondary school education among the Deaf has been shown to improve economic earning potential and reduced dependence on federal support programs, such as unemployment and disability pension for sources of income. 53 As a result additional funding should be sought to ensure adequate support so that education services are enabled to meet the needs of the Deaf community, particularly among those who seek to undertake post-secondary education.…”

The employment of individuals with hearing impairment in the KwaZulu-Natal private sector: Current employers’ perceptions and experiences

“…Educational levels and severity of hearing loss influence employment and income opportunities in various ways, with the more severe the hearing loss, the less the likelihood of obtaining paid work (Stam, Kostense, Festen & Kramer, 2013;Boutin & Wilson, 2009), whereas higher or tertiary education had a more positive effect on employment (Walter & Dirmyer, 2013;Schley et al, 2011;Rydberg, Gellerstedt & Danermark, 2011). Perkins-Dock et al 2015 (Maja et al, 2011).…”