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Empowering Careers, Strengthening Communities

Deaf Employment Summit 2025

June 4–6, 2025 | ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´
Two persons looking to the right

What is the Deaf Employment Summit?

Deaf Employment Summit will be hosted at ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´. This is a joint planning effort among four organizations serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community: ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), National Association of the Deaf (NAD), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD).

Modeled after Senator Harkins’ Harkin International Disability Employment Summit, this biannual summit brings together influential employers, policy-makers, advocates and educators to discuss and implement solutions on a nationwide basis.

What is the Deaf Employment Summit?

The first Deaf Employment Summit was hosted by NTID in June 2023. Our goal then was to showcase success stories and share employment resources in hopes of improving employment opportunities and hiring of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, as well as improve the quality of employment of such individuals. 

Showcase success stories and employment resources for employers and DHH individuals

Improve employment opportunities and hiring of DHH individuals

Improve the quality of employment of DHH individuals

A person at the far left is standing at a table conversing with two other people on the opposite side of the table. There are yellow and blue balloons spread out in the background.

The Deaf Employment Summit features a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and interactive sessions designed to foster meaningful dialogue and action.

Ole Jim

5 – 8 pm

Welcome Reception

6 – 7 pm

Opening Remarks by

(under review by President & Provost; to be finalized by mid-December)

Kellogg Conference Center

8:00 – 8:30 

Breakfast

8:30 – 8:50 

Welcome remarks by President Cordano & Provost Rashid

8:50 – 9:00

Mingle Break

9:00 – 9:50 

Dr. Caroline Bloom from National Deaf Center.

9:50 – 10:00

Mingle Break

10:00 – 11:20

Alumni Panel: DES 1 attendees 

  • Kevin Kelly, Bureau of Reclamation
  • Scott Wills, Dow
  • Leah Biggs, Huntington Ingalls
  • Rachel Arfa, City of Chicago
  • Angela Dingle, Ex Nihilio
  • Moderator Matthew Callahan, General Dynamics / Bath Iron Works

11:30 – 12:00

Reflective Remarks by DC Mayor Bowser

12:00 – 1:00 

Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 

Special Spotlight: Andersen’s story with Tracey Gibson, CDO

2:00 – 2:15

Mingle break

2:15 – 3:00 PM

Panel: Artificial Intelligence – what is it? Moderated by Gary Behm/Sam Sepah

  • To AI or Not to AI?
  • Algorithms
  • Employers perspective and the job seeker’s perspective 

CKP to ask Raja for a recent graduate / John to check NTID/RIT (looking for work or recently employed) 

3:00 – 4:30

Breakouts (approx. 10 assigned groups with assigned moderators)

5:00 – 8:00 

Optional: Dinner & Happy Hour

Kellogg Conference Center

8:00 – 8:30 

Breakfast

8:30 – 9:00 

9:00 – 10:00 

What Keeps You Up at Night? Facilitated by Christina Hopewell-Albert

10:00 – 10:10
mingle break

10:10 – 11:00 

Closing Remarks by Joyce Bender

11:00 – 12:00

Reviewing & call to action to undertake with DES leadership & committee. Led by Kelby Brick, NAD COO

Caroline Pezzarossi

Special Assistant to the Provost

Khadijat Rashid

Provost

Roberta Cordano

President

Chief Executive Officer Christopher Soukup

Communication Services of the Deaf

President Gerald Buckley

Rochester Institute of Technology | National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Mayor Bowser

District of Columbia

Joyce Bender

Bender Consulting

Bobbie Beth Scoggins

National Association of the Deaf

Christina Hopewell-Albert

Communication Service for the Deaf

Liann Osborne

Communication Service for the Deaf

John Macko

National Technical Institute for the Deaf

In addition to this executive summit, the four organizations collaborate on regularly occurring webinars open to the community. These webinars address a wide range of topics related to Deaf Employment.

Accessibility & Inclusion

Career Development

Deaf-led Organizations Serving the Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened

Why Gallaudet?

ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´, the world’s only four-year liberal arts university serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students, serves as the educational, social, and political engine of Deaf America. The duty of the university to foster disagreement, debate, and civic engagement is embedded in its role as a higher education institution.

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Deaf Employment Summit 2025

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