The National Deaf Center strives to provide the highest-quality assistance by incorporating practices that are “evidence-based” – a term that means they have been shown to be the most effective and should be prioritized for use. However, for the deaf population it is a term that falls short.
In this report, “Evidence-Based Technical Assistance,” we outline the National Deaf Center’s unique approach to expand the concept of “evidence-based” for the deaf community, providing a model for other technical assistance and research centers.
The report addresses:
- How many practices don’t meet the criteria of “evidence-based” for deaf populations
- Why work that is done with marginalized communities must include cultural competency and other contexts
- What other factors, resources and “best available evidence” NDC integrates to provide the most useful and relevant information
- Examples of evidence-based resources at NDC and how they are developed