ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the population of hearing-impaired school-age persons in the United States. The 21st century will be a time of challenge and opportunity for deaf persons. The chapter presents the number of deaf students who now leave high school without a diploma or certificate is estimated at 28–30 per cent. It describes projections of the number and type of deaf students postsecondary programs can expect to enrol through the year 2000. The number of minority deaf 18- to 21-year-olds grew from 29 per cent in 1982 to 35 per cent in 1990, and the proportion is expected to grow to 39 per cent by the year 2000. The chapter aims to identify some of the major issues that are likely to have an impact on postsecondary education of deaf students over the next several decades. The demand for greater education is driven by the changing job market.
