The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) held a conference in Dublin, ‘Disability Through The Lifecourse‘, on September 16th, 2014. This event was very relevant to Sound Advice, with the keynote speaker, Professor Sheila Riddell from the University of Edinburgh, citing post-school transitions research from NDCS in her keynote presentation.
Most of the social group profiled from the NDCS (the National Deaf Childrens’ Society) were deaf pupils receiving an oral education with visiting-teacher support at home/school (Slide 1).
Slide 1: School experiences of deaf pupils.
Regarding school outcomes, the pupils with higher grades progressed to higher education, with pupils’ communication modes noted in Slide 2, “Case Study reflects wider pattern”.
Slide 2: Case study reflected wider social patterns.
Contextually, pupils’ post-school destinations reflected their prior attainment in the school system, and if they moved on to higher/further education, training or to economic inactivity.
Looking to the graduate labour market (Slide 3), no major differences were seen in the outcomes of young deaf people, and other new graduates in the group surveyed.
Slide 3: Graduate labour market – similar outcomes.
Ultimately, the graduate labour market showing no difference in outcomes proves that with the right support from infancy, deaf pupils, students and graduates can and will succeed.
The critical success factors are:
- Early detection of hearing issues.
- Sustained parental language teaching.
- Monitoring of school results.
- Teen exposure to real-world work experience, job interviews and teamwork.
