Hiring a deaf computer professional*

Abstract

The computer industry has a critical need for skilled professionals. Employers are already hard-pressed to find qualified workers and look with interest to the growing population of technically trained deaf individuals as a new source of competent employees. Interest in hiring deaf computer professionals has also been accelerated by employers’ growing sense of social responsibility and their need to comply with government regulations concerning affirmative action in hiring and promoting handicapped individuals. This willingness to employ deaf professionals must be accompanied, however, by specific guidelines for the actual hiring and accommodation of such workers. This paper addresses the practical concerns of managers who wish to hire deaf professionals into their organization.