National Association of the Deaf

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) announces the posting of a position paper proposing a collaborative national service delivery system to individuals identified as "low functioning deaf" (LFD). The position paper can be found at:
http://www.nad.org/lfd

“This is an exciting step that will serve many individuals who are not given the opportunity to maximize their abilities to become active members of the community,” said Kelby Brick, NAD Director for Law and Advocacy. “The NAD has long been concerned about the unmet need for access to effective services for those youths and adults identified as ‘low functioning,’ to allow them to be meaningfully employed and to function independently,” he continued.

To address this important issue, a "LFD Strategic Work Group" was formed with the NAD as a leading member. The workgroup put together existing research and data to write a proposed strategic vision for a collaborative national service delivery system to individuals identified as "low functioning deaf" (LFD).

The paper is the product of the LFD Strategic Work Group, a group convened by the Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet) through their grant with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and endorsed by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), both components of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education. The Work Group includes federal program managers, national consumer leaders, researchers and professionals from the field.

The paper focuses on the ongoing discussion among service programs, educational programs, schools, advocates, research centers and federal programs on the challenges that LFD individuals present to the public education and rehabilitation systems. This paper should mobilize the deaf and hard of hearing community, policy makers, and federal program professionals to assist at risk LFD individuals to become meaningfully employed through traditional and non-traditional means, and to function independently at home and in the community.

Since the 1940s, national consumer groups, federal policy makers, researchers and concerned professionals in the field have struggled to provide the best services and social support to this population. One area of consensus among these groups is clear -- the needs of the LFD population will continue to go unmet through existing service delivery systems. Experience has demonstrated that comprehensive, specialized services provided by skilled professionals and the appropriate environmental and social support enable LFD youth and adults to become economically and socially self-sufficient. With these services, they can lead full and productive lives. The model for a National Collaborative Service Delivery System outlined Position Paper provides the framework for meeting that goal, the model is located at:
http://www.nad.org/lfdmodel