The Impact of Intensive Vocation-Related Course Taking on Employment Outcomes for Individuals Who Are Deaf

Abstract

Individuals who are deaf have historically faced significant obstacles to equity in employment. This secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS2) examined (a) intensive vocation-related courses taken by students who are deaf and (b) their impact on long-term employment outcomes. Deaf students in general education schools and special education schools were equally likely to take a four-course sequence of vocational classes. However, students in general education schools were less likely to enroll in at least a year of work-study courses. Propensity score analyses indicate there were no significant effects of enrollment in vocation-related course taking on employment outcomes for deaf students within the study time frame. Implications of these findings are provided both in terms of how the NLTS2 dataset is used to determine significant predictors of longer term outcomes for deaf individuals and potential inferences of nonsignificant results for the field.