The intent of this article is to better understand the current knowledge about the condition of deaf people on the basis of social participation in education and employment as well as the associated barriers and facilitators. The theoretical framework relates Disability Creation Process (DCP) model by Fougeyrollas, Cloutier, Bergeron, Côté and Saint-Michel (1998) and Social Executive Functioning Model by Davis-Kean and Eccles (2005). The approach used is based on a review of recent and relevant scientific literature pertaining to the subject. Findings show the current condition of deaf persons, identify the barriers found in their environments and present facilitators that can contribute to improving social participation in their pursuit of higher education or their eventual integration to the labour market.