
Abstract
As the labor market continues to evolve, how will deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) people adapt to changes in the workplace and take advantage of new employment opportunities, careers, and entrepreneurship? Although much is known about DHH individuals’ employment, job/career satisfaction, and the related financial benefits of increased education, there is also the DHH dilemma of being educated and employed, but limited in career growth. What factors influence educational attainment, employment, career growth, and entrepreneurship? More important, workplace communication must go beyond access considerations to DHH individuals’ personal responsibility and initiative to adapt communicatively with coworkers, management, and different customer or client target audiences. In the 21st-century work reality, there are a number of current drivers for DHH entrepreneurship, but also a DHH disconnect between entrepreneurial desire and reality. Will the continued expansion of digital business, technologies, and online marketing provide DHH people increased job opportunities? All these topics are examined.
Keywords: career advancement, career growth, deaf, digital business, digital communication technology, employment, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hard of hearing, online marketing, workplace communication
Subject Social Psychology