Stephanie W. Cawthon wrote a special bulletin for the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education (JDSDE) on the new Model State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Deaf People — a 111-page report coordinated by Dr. Cawthon that debuted in February and charts an ambitious and proactive leap forward in how state vocational rehabilitation agencies support deaf people in their employment and career pathways.
The bulletin aims to provide the field of deaf education with an overview of and valuable insights from the 2022 Model State Plan, which was commissioned by the Deaf Professionals Network at the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation.
The Model State Plan was truly a community effort: Members of the Deaf Professionals Network were integral in all phases of report development and delivery. The bulletin highlights the following five key insights from the report’s development:
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A policy and social sea change in the last 15 years
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Foundational barriers to access for deaf people
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Shifting to a deaf-centered perspective
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Balancing between advocacy and professional development
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Looking to the future
Readers are encouraged to use the plan as an opportunity to deepen their own understanding of accessibility, diversity, equity, community engagement, and systems change.
As a national document, the 2022 Model State Plan serves as a guide to U.S. states in how they implement many vital parts of vocational rehabilitation policy, including personnel structure, professional development, services and programs, community collaborations and partnerships, and outreach to stakeholders.
The original Model State Plan was produced in 1973 and the most recent update to the Model State Plan was in 2008.
The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal integrating and coordinating basic and applied research relating to individuals who are deaf, including cultural, developmental, linguistic, and educational topics.