Across the U.S., deaf people face persistent barriers in education and employment. Only 5% of deaf people are enrolled in postsecondary educational programs—half the rate of hearing peers. Just 22% have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Additionally, 22.7% of deaf youth ages 16–24 are not in school or working—nearly twice the national average.
Since 2017, the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) has worked to change that. Based at The University of Texas at Austin and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, NDC helps deaf students build strong futures. This work is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under IDEA Part D, with additional support from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to strengthen career readiness.
This work is critical, as NDC provides accessible, evidence-based guidance. Over 265,000 deaf youth ages 14–22 live across the U.S.—and nearly 1 in 4 live in rural areas where support is harder to find. Without the right tools and training, too many students fall behind. For professionals helping these students, NDC is often the only place to turn.
"The world is really big. [NDC] makes it smaller for us to tap into resources and collaborate with other states. Without NDC, I’d feel much more alone."
Driving Local Change Through National Infrastructure
Deafness is a low-incidence disability. Most teachers and staff only work with a few deaf students in their entire careers—and often lack access to training, data, or peers who understand the challenges. That’s why NDC’s national support is so crucial.
With sustained federal support, NDC delivers tools, training, and resources that empower educators, families, VR counselors, and disability service providers nationwide.
With steady federal funding NDC has:
- Reached over 1.4 million website visitors
- Answered over 4,000 questions through its Help Desk
- Trained roughly 50,000 people through free online learning opportunities
- Supported 20,000 Deafverse players across 600+ virtual classrooms
- Collaborated with leaders in all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories
As the need keeps growing, so does the work.
Tools That Build Capacity and Inspire Action
At the heart of NDC’s impact are real tools that lead to real results. These aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential for schools, colleges, and families trying to break down barriers and improve outcomes for deaf people to succeed.
- Deafverse is the first ASL-accessible educational game of its kind—helping more than 20,000 deaf youth nationwide build self-advocacy and college and career readiness skills, while giving educators an accessible, engaging tool to help students prepare for life after high school. It’s already being used in over 600 classrooms!
- The NDC Data Dashboard provides national and state-level data on education and employment outcomes for deaf people. Used by people across the country, it supports grant writing, program planning, advocacy, and program growth.
- The online learning library offers free, self-paced training on topics like accessibility, transition planning, and accommodations—used by nearly 50,000 people and featuring real-life stories from deaf people and experts to make learning practical and relevant.
NDC also maintains a widely used website, hosts live webinars (many of which are also produced and shared widely post-event), shares practical implementation tools, and offers personalized support and coaching.
“NDC has given me hope. When I’m stuck, I use the resources or reach out. It’s a centralized hub where I can connect and move forward.”
Tangible Impact at Every Level
NDC’s support leads to action—from one-on-one guidance to institution-wide transformation. Help Desk responses are shared across campuses. Action plans turn into updated policies, improved access, and stronger support for deaf students.
At Aurora University, staff used NDC’s training and Help Desk support to expand accommodations and propose a new interpreter coordinator role. At Madison College, NDC helped the college conduct a self-assessment, identify ways to strengthen cross-campus commitment to accessibility, and support the launch of a new club for deaf and signing students.
“The support from NDC has given us clout that upper management respects. Their action plan helped us organize big projects and make real change.”
National Investment Makes It Possible
This work is only possible because of federal investment in national activities under IDEA Part D [20 U.S.C. § 1482(d)(1)(B)–(2)]. That funding makes sure no student gets left behind—especially those in communities that need the most help.
The stakes are high. As NDC’s work continues, one thing is clear: local success depends on national support. Without NDC, many schools, colleges, and service providers would lose access to the very tools that are driving progress.
Now is not the time to pull back.
Deaf youth are ready for the future, but they can’t do it alone. We must keep building systems that effectively inform and support them—and ensure that educators, service providers, and agencies have the tools, training, and data they need—so that deaf people can thrive wherever they live, and wherever they’re going.
