Hearing research career development for deaf students

One goal of the Americans with Disabilities Act is to enhance access to career opportunities for individuals with hearing loss. Hearing-impaired professionals are woefully underrepresented among the cadre of scientists currently involved in hearing and deafness research. Information was obtained by questionnaire from 190 consecutive attendees (13 through 17 years of age) at a summer program for gifted hearing-impaired adolescents regarding career goals, attitudes toward academic and extracurricular activities, educational placement, primary communication modality, and parental hearing status. A follow-up questionnaire completed by 80 of these youth, presently attending college, provided comparison data regarding type of college attended and academic major. Males were significantly more likely to select majors in mathematics and science-related disciplines. The percentage of college attendees majoring in the sciences was much lower than the percentage of high school students who aspired to a scientific career. Strategies for attracting qualified hearing-impaired students into science majors should include educational efforts directed at students, parents, and academic advisors.