Cawthon to Co-Present Model State Plan at CSAVR Deaf Professionals Network Summit
Dr. Stephanie Cawthon has been announced as a featured co-presenter at the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Deaf Professionals Network Summit on April 27-28, along with DPN Standing Committee leadership Duane Mayes, Bedarius Bell, David Hankinson, and Kathy West-Evans.
The newly launched CSAVR Deaf Professionals Network (DPN) is a group of state leads in vocational rehabilitation and services for deaf* people. Their first goal was to commission an update to the Model State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Deaf People, which Dr. Cawthon worked on with the DPN to release in early 2022.
“I truly look forward to engaging with the vocational rehabilitation community on ways that this Model State Plan can be integrated into higher education training curricula, professional development opportunities for vocational rehabilitation staff, and as a resource for advocacy for deaf community members and their allies,” said Dr. Cawthon, who explained the plan’s release in February.
Longstanding systemic barriers to equity in employment and career opportunities for deaf people continue to require proactive, comprehensive approaches.
The Model State Plan includes a stand-alone infographic of top ten priorities, as well as a comprehensive plan that has been updated to reflect current policies and contexts. It provides essential guidance to state vocational rehabilitation programs in the structure, services, and supports needed to close the employment gap.
The DPN Summit is a two-day opportunity to do a deep dive into the Model State Plan, consider strategies for implementing in the context of each member’s state, and brainstorm ideas for dissemination and future professional development and training.
“As a deaf person who also experiences a high level of ableism in the workplace, I understand these issues at a personal level,” said Dr. Cawthon. “And yet I know I have many privileges and access that many deaf people do not. It is truly a privilege to work with the DPN as it seeks to provide meaningful services for deaf people and to improve employment outcomes for all.”
While the summit is a closed meeting for State Coordinators of the Deaf and their agency staff, the DPN and Dr. Cawthon are sharing information about the Model State Plan widely across different venues. There are upcoming summaries and discussions in the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education and the ADARA Newsletter.
* The umbrella term “deaf” is used to refer to deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, deafdisabled, and deafblind categories within RSA (page 26). Further information from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) on the history of and considerations in different usages.