CIVIC-PG Track B - Improving Workforce Participation Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Individuals through an Accessible, Digital Employment Services Dashboard

The employment gap between deaf and hearing people in the US is a significant area of concern - only 54% of deaf people are employed, compared to 70% of hearing people. Workforce participation is a key determinant of economic opportunity and social mobility as the closing of opportunity gaps alleviates poverty, strengthens families, and promotes healthy and flourishing economies. Guided by these insights, Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) plans to develop and implement the EduFocus Employment Network, a user-friendly and accessible digital employment services dashboard for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) learners and jobseekers. The service aims to reduce economic inequities facing the approximately 11 million Americans who consider themselves deaf by connecting DHH individuals to career-connected training, accessible career pathways, social services, and employment opportunities. To develop the platform, CSD will engage key stakeholders committed to streamlining the connection to career-connected learning and employment in the DC-area including rehabilitation programs, community-based organizations, industry, academia, and others. CSD will develop EduFocus Employment Network through a pilot aimed at connecting DHH individuals in the Washington, DC metro area. CSD’s proposed pilot expands upon current practices and technological advancements in several key ways, including (a) an accessibility focus embedded within the platform such as incorporating video-based job descriptions and interviews in ASL and real-time video interpreting support, (b) integration of community feedback in platform design, (c) advanced matching algorithms, and (d) data analytics to assess progress and outcomes for DHH individuals utilizing he platform. A broad set of stakeholder across multiple sectors will be engaged to understand current challenges and barriers to employment for DHH individuals. The outcomes of this project will produce important insights on how to create pathways to employment for other populations with acute barriers to employment. This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program’s Track B: Bridging the gap between essential resources and services & community needs and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.