Deaf Employment Summit

Strengthening Employment Pathways for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

June 7-9, 2023

Hosted by:

National Technical Institute for the Deaf at
Rochester Institute of Technology

In Collaboration With:

Thank You

Thank you all for attending the 2023 Deaf Employment Summit at the Rochester Institute of Technology, hosted by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. This event was a great success, with many incredible speakers. Additional resources and information are provided on this webpage. Thank you again to our partners: Gallaudet University, National Association of the Deaf (NAD), and Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. (CSD).

We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2025 Deaf Employment Summit at Gallaudet University tentatively scheduled for June 4-6, 2025.

2023 Video

2023 Photo Gallery

2023 Executive Summary

View/Download the DES 2023 Summary

Summit Overview

At this summit, we brought together employers, policy makers, advocates, and educators to strategize how to best achieve our primary goal: to increase the job market participation rate and the employment rate of people who are deaf or hard of hearing over the next decade.

We focused on:

raising awareness;
discussing challenges;
sharing resources; and
celebrating successes.

Increasing employment opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals was a significant goal; thank you to all who were able to participate in this historic summit.

Goals

To showcase success stories and employment resources for employers and DHH individuals
To improve employment opportunities and hiring of DHH individuals
To improve the quality of employment of DHH individuals

Schedule

Wednesday, June 7

Location: Dyer Arts Center
5:30 - 7:30 pm	Registration/Reception
6:00 - 6:30 pm	Keynote: “The ADA and the Harkin Summits: My Stories” The Honorable Tom Harkin, Retired Senator, Iowa
6:30 - 7:30 pm	Reception

Thursday, June 8

Location: SDC 1300/1310
8:00 - 8:30 am	Registration and Breakfast
8:30 - 8:45 am	Welcoming Remarks The Honorable Malik Evans, Mayor, City of Rochester
8:45 - 9:15 am	The Deaf Employment Summit: Origins and Goals John Macko, Director, NTID Co-op and Career Center Dr. Gerard Buckley, President NTID; Vice President and Dean, RIT
9:15 - 10:15 am	Keynote: “Deaf People and Employment in the United States” Dr. Carrie Lou Bloom, National Deaf Center at the University of Texas-Austin
10:15 - 10:30 am	Break
10:30 - 12:00 pm	Panel Discussion: The Employment Picture Moderator: Melissa Yingst, Community Influencer Brianne Burger, Liaison to the Special Institutions, U.S. Department of Education Amy Gomme, Executive Director at DCARA Holly Ketchum, Services for the D/HH Coordinator, State of Arkansas Scott Van Nice, IT Director, Procter & Gamble Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Dept. of Labor
12:00 - 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 pm	Mini Talks "Innovating Skill Advancement for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals", Gary Behm, Associate Vice President for NTID Academic Affairs, and Director of RIT/NTID Center on Access Technology Innovation Laboratory, NTID "Optimizing the Workplace Experience for All Employees", Taja Brown, Director, HR & Employment Services, Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. "Section 503: What does it mean for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Employees", Claudia Gordon, Senior Accessibility Strategist with T-Mobile US, Inc. "The Impact of Long-Term Investments Leading to High-Value, High-Visibility Careers", Leah Katz-Hernandez, Senior Manager, CEO Platform & Communities at Microsoft "The Deaf Ecosystem", Dr. Khadijat Rashid, Dean of the Faculty, Gallaudet University "Centralized Accommodations as a Solution", Howard Rosenblum, CEO at National Association of the Deaf
2:30 - 2:45 pm	Break
2:45 - 4:00 pm	Translating Talks into Action

Friday, June 9

Location: SDC 1300/1310
8:00 - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 - 8:45 am	Welcoming Remarks The Honorable Joseph Morelle, U.S. Representative, 25th District, New York
8:45 - 10:00 am	Open Forum: “Everything You’ve Wanted To Ask, But Were Afraid To Ask” Howard Rosenblum, CEO at National Association of the Deaf
10:00 - 10:15 am	Break
10:15 - 11:15 am	Key Themes and Action Plans Dr. Julie Tibbitt, Director of Office for Career Success at Gallaudet University Dr. Denise Kavin, Assistant Dean - Admissions, Outreach and Special Projects Division at NTID
11:15 - 12:00 pm	Closing Remarks Andy Imparato, Executive Director at Disability Rights California
12:00 pm	Summit Ends/Box Lunch Provided