ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In the bustling mailroom of Adelante Mailing Services, where the hum of machinery and the rustle of envelopes create a constant auditory backdrop, Amanda Bolton finds a unique form of focus. For Bolton, 58, whose life has been shaped by a hearing loss since infancy, this environment, while noisy for many, allows her to hone in on her tasks with remarkable concentration. "Some days, I’m just like tunnel vision," Bolton stated. "I don’t hear like everybody else, but it allows me to be more focused on what I need to do, as opposed to being distracted by other things going on." Bolton has worn hearing aids since she was one year old and received a cochlear implant five years ago after a significant decline in her hearing in 2019. It was in that same year she began her employment at Adelante Mailing Services, one of several enterprises managed by Albuquerque’s Adelante Development Center, an organization dedicated to connecting individuals with disabilities to vital resources and employment opportunities.
Originally from Louisiana, Bolton relocated to New Mexico in 1998, drawn by the burgeoning martial arts scene. She quickly discovered not only a fondness for the state’s climate but also a robust network of resources for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. "When I moved out here, I would say I probably had more resources in two years than my entire life," Bolton reflected. This personal experience underscores a broader challenge faced by the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities: persistent employment disparities despite increasing awareness and available support systems.
The Staggering Employment Statistics
Across the United States and locally in New Mexico, the employment landscape for individuals with hearing impairments remains a significant concern. Data from the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes, referencing U.S. Census Bureau figures, reveals a considerable gap in employment rates. Between 2020 and 2024, the national employment rate for the hearing population averaged approximately 72%. In contrast, only about 55% of deaf individuals were employed during the same period.
New Mexico exhibits an even more pronounced disparity. For the years 2020-2024, 67% of non-deaf New Mexicans were employed, while the rate for deaf New Mexicans stood at 46%. According to the National Deaf Center’s 2020-2024 New Mexico report, the state ranks 49th in deaf employment. It is important to note that this report utilized a smaller sample size, which may account for some variations in detail compared to national figures.
Jill Beets, Adelante’s vice president of marketing, emphasized the severity of these statistics, stating, "The stats are bad, and that even includes people that are trained to do things and that have college degrees." She further noted that the situation becomes even more challenging for individuals who are deaf and also have additional disabilities. "I think sometimes people just look at what people are not going to be able to do… and they don’t really focus on what the person has the ability to do," Beets observed.
However, the employment outlook is not entirely without progress. In 2024, the national employment rate for deaf individuals reached a record high of 58%. New Mexico also saw an increase, with its deaf employment rate rising to 51% in the same year, according to Census Bureau data. Over the past decade, deaf employment rates have grown at a faster pace than those for the hearing population. Recent data also indicates that deaf and hearing professionals working full-time jobs now earn the same median annual income. Furthermore, 11% of employed deaf adults are self-employed, a slightly higher percentage than the 9% of hearing adults who are self-employed.
Strengths, Challenges, and Employer Perceptions
Beets has witnessed firsthand how individuals with disabilities at Adelante become "key parts" of the organization’s operations, bringing unique strengths such as thoughtful communication and meticulous attention to detail. While Bolton’s hearing loss presents certain challenges, it also contributes to her perceived strengths. "Doing the job is not the challenge; I love it. I love multitasking," Bolton said. "But sometimes I feel like I’m in my own little world because it’s noisy and (nondeaf) people can communicate in the noise, and they can understand each other. If it’s noisy and somebody wants to talk to me, I have to really focus on what they’re saying."
This need for intense focus can lead to feelings of isolation for Bolton, particularly when it comes to participating in casual workplace conversations that often occur spontaneously among hearing colleagues. The ability to engage in such "chit-chat," even across distances or between cubicles, is a common aspect of workplace integration that can be challenging to replicate. "You feel isolated, you feel really alone… and then you question a lot too," Bolton admitted. "You question (if) you are good enough. And I know I’m doing good. I know I’m qualified to do what I’m doing, but you still have those doubts."
At the employer level, biases and misconceptions can contribute significantly to employment barriers for deaf individuals, particularly during the hiring process. Beets highlighted that hesitancy from businesses often stems from a lack of understanding regarding accommodations. "People wonder how they’re going to be able to accommodate them," she explained. Many employers express concerns about the complexity and cost of training and implementing necessary physical and technological accommodations. However, Beets pointed out that individuals requiring extra support often come with their own job coaches. Furthermore, financial resources are available for accommodations, which she noted cost an average of $300. Small businesses can also benefit from tax credits for accommodation expenditures, including the provision of "qualified interpreters or other methods of making audio materials available to hearing-impaired individuals," as outlined in state tax forms.
Bridging the Gap with New Initiatives
While New Mexico offers a range of resources, Raphael Martinez, co-founder and executive director of Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA), identified a need for more structured post-secondary programs to prepare deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, especially those with co-occurring disabilities, for the workforce. To address this, the ASLA Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate, is developing the New Mexico Developmental Disability Workforce Training Center (NMDDWTC). This initiative, in its 18th month of development, aims to be a pioneering workforce development program in the state.
Operating separately from ASLA’s charter school functions, the NMDDWTC will provide crucial support to ASLA students who age out of the public education system at age 22, as well as to adults with developmental disabilities not affiliated with the school. The program will utilize existing ASLA property, including an adaptive coffee trolley and a repurposed arts center, to offer adults aged 22 and older training and work experience in retail, agriculture, and consumer services.
This program builds upon ASLA’s existing retail training efforts, which include barista instruction through a coffee station at the North Fourth Art Center. This past academic year, students began operating the "Honey Badger Coffee Trolley," named after the academy’s mascot, as a functional business at various locations, including PAH! Hiland Plaza. The trolley is slated to be primarily stationed at the North Fourth Art Center, in front of a forthcoming store where NMDDWTC clients will work and sell honey produced by ASLA students’ honeybees. The ASLA Foundation anticipates a full launch of NMDDWTC operations and a year-round trolley schedule at the center by August.
The foundation is partnering with Albuquerque’s Cutbow Coffee for its coffee supply. This collaboration, according to Martinez and Cutbow owner Paul Gallegos, is intended to create a pathway for individuals who gain sufficient experience to advance within the coffee industry. "I see this as a really good opportunity to not only work at Cutbow, but in any coffee shop, because it’s such a marketable skill," Gallegos commented.
Cultivating Purposeful Existence and Future Pathways
The appeal of the coffee industry is already evident in one of the Honey Badger Coffee Trolley’s baristas, Joey Smith. Smith, 18, who is profoundly deaf and a graduate of ASLA, is currently interning with Bernalillo County, assisting the academy with its afterschool program. His aspiration is to deepen his experience in the coffee sector and potentially establish his own coffee shop and community center. "I love interacting with the other people, and I just want to see everyone happy. It’s my favorite part," Smith expressed through an interpreter. "I love making the espresso; it feels more advanced. I want to keep on going with that."
Smith is one of 65 young adults currently being prepared for the workforce by ASLA. With the addition of the NMDDWTC, Martinez hopes to serve up to 200 adults with disabilities by June 2028, contingent on available funding and resources. Other potential placement sites for students include local businesses such as Three Sisters Kitchen, Albuquerque Florist, Red Shovel, and Feather Duster. Martinez’s overarching goal is to provide ASLA students and NMDDWTC clients with "a purposeful existence" and "a reason to wake up, shower, go outside and engage with the world."
Amanda Bolton echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the profound value of employment for individuals with disabilities. She believes the workforce is a crucial arena for personal and professional growth, learning, and maturation. As new initiatives emerge, Bolton expresses optimism for a continued rise in employment rates for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, encouraging younger generations to overcome barriers and forge new paths. "Keep doing it. If you hit a roadblock, it’s OK. Keep going and learn from it," Bolton advised. "Having a disability… doesn’t have to stop you from doing what you want to do. If you want to do it, you can do it. Don’t give up."
