This is the fourth in a series of hearings to increase the employment participation rate for all people; for all individuals with disabilities. The focus of this hearing is on persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, in part because they have achieved greater success in the labor market than other groups identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as having disabilities. It is imperative that society has support services in place so that individuals who are hard-of-hearing or who are deaf can use their skills to the maximum and achieve their highest potential. Following opening statements by Honorable Tom Harkin (Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) and Honorable Michael B. Enzi (U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming), the following provide prepared witness statements: (1) T. Alan Hurwitz, President, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC; (2) Gerard J. Buckley, Ph.D., President, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Vice President and Dean, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York; (3) Seth Bravin, Accessibility Strategy and Solutions Expert, IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center, Frederick, Maryland; (4) Michael J. Ellis, National Director, Sprint Relay, Denver, Colorado; and (5) Leila Hanaumi, Student, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. Additional material is provided by Maya Ariel, Hannah Worek, and National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Responses to questions of Senator Enzi are provided by: T. Alan Hurwitz, Ph.D., Gerard J. Buckley, Ph.D., IBM, and Michael J. Ellis. Lastly, a letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is presented.