As an organization, ‘Deaf Open World’ reflects a vision where deaf youth are able to navigate their environment without Hesitation, Resistance or Barriers, components that impede open access to the world around them.

Although deaf youth will be receiving ongoing career development training, it is also vital that youth receive individual career guidance counseling as they consider their career interests and move through the education system. Throughout their enrollment in the program, students will be clustered into mentorship groups, and appointed a career mentor who will meet with them during each career development training (roughly 3 times a year). The mentor will provide one-on-one professional development counseling, and also actively seek to link deaf youth to a network of individuals who might be great resources to them as they develop their career goals for the future.

 

Guest speakers will also be invited to present at the career development workshops as a way to broader deaf youth’s networks and be exposed to what other deaf people are doing across the African continent in the education sector.  Moreover, deaf youth will also receive assistance in job-placement through DOW’s efforts to build critical relationships with local businesses, governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations. DOW hopes to partner with at least 10 organizations and businesses within the next five years to grow job placement of deaf individuals.