The first national study of the experiences of the deaf community shows the majority are in low-paid and low-status jobs with little hope of gaining promotion.
The study suggests the deaf community - estimated to about 40,000 - has an employment rate of around 60 per cent, similar to the general population rate of 64 per cent.
However, the study of more than 350 deaf people across the country found the majority were in manual and clerical occupations and generally did not expect to be promoted.
These tended to be low paid, with just under 70 per cent of deaf people earning less than €461 per week.
The report, Signing In & Signing Out, which was conducted by the Irish Deaf Society and prepared by Dr Pauline Conroy of Ralaheen Ltd, also found low levels of educational attainment, despite the significant length of time deaf people spent in the education system.
The study found that the majority of those surveyed stayed at school until they were 18 (60 per cent), yet a quarter of these adults came out of the system without an exam qualification.
In the report's conclusions, it said education outcomes revealed a "series of grave flaws" in deaf education.
Children who were unable to communicate with each other reported being unable to communicate clearly with their teachers who did not use Irish sign language.
In the secondary school system, around half completed the Junior Certificate or Group Certificate, one fifth completed the Leaving Certificate and one tenth completed the Applied Leaving Certificate.
Less than four out of ten adults went on to further education or vocational training.
For those who went on to third-level education, many said they would have liked to have supports such as a sign-language interpreter or a note-taker, but they were not available.
Basic literacy emerged as a significant issue, with more than one third reporting that they did not feel fully confident in reading a newspaper, and more than half were not fully confident in filling out a form.
The report concluded that low literacy levels were not being remedied. In addition, many students in third level reported feeling isolated from student life due to the absence of support services.
More generally, the report also shed light on the often isolating social aspects of being deaf.
It concluded: "Deaf adults are frequently locked out of social interaction, representation and recognition by co-employees, employers and trade unions."
The study makes a number of recommendations, including:
- the establishment of disability offices or officers in every college or school;
- specific actions to allow deaf workers and employees to communicate within the workplace;
- and actions by trade unions to promote participation by deaf workers in the life of their union.
