Considerations in developing a career preparation program for deaf high school students

This study gathers information needed for designing or improving the career preparation programs for the deaf on the secondary level. Sixty-eight senior high school students, fifty-two school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors, fifty-one post-high school graduates, twelve direct supervisors of deaf workers and eleven persons in charge of hiring deaf workers took part in this descriptive study. Frequencies and percentages were used for the analysis and presentation of data. Findings have shown that deaf seniors prefer to take computer-related courses and most deaf graduates pursued computer-related studies. Most of the deaf got employed in less than three months after finishing high school and are employed in their family-owned business. Although the deaf workers claim to be satisfied with their jobs, more than 50 percent are searching for other jobs. Deaf workers feel that vocational/technical training must be given in high school and they have considered formal education and vocational/technical training to be important in getting their present jobs. Problems related to job searching were associated with the attitude of employers and the insufficient knowledge in determining placements. Lack of knowledge of the employers about the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities and the failure to strictly monitor and implement the law to provide equal opportunity to the deaf workers in both private and public sectors is evident in this study