Students transitioning from secondary to tertiary education are faced with new people, environments, and responsibilities. This can be frightening, overwhelming and isolating. For Deafblind and people with disabilities, these transition challenges can be magnified.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that people with disabilities receive equal rights in all public accommodations, including colleges and universities. As a result, higher education institutions are required to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing students with sufficient resources to participate equally in all classes and activities.
Nevertheless, most college services and functions are adapted for those who hear. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students may not even know what accommodations they have access to or how to get to them. Communication support services can be challenging to use in everyday situations, but academic language can add more difficulty.
Many schools need to invest more time, money and effort in helping deaf and hard of hearing students to make this process easier. They need to be more transparent about the support they offer and guide students through the process.
Choosing the right college if you are deaf or hard of hearing
Deaf and hard of hearing students may need extra attention when choosing a school and program. They need to make sure that the school they choose provides appropriate accommodations and services to offer them a fair academic experience. For example, you can find out if the school has a disability resource center that can help you with your transition.
You can also check to see if the school has assistive listening and communication technologies and how they accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students in their facilities. Does the school provide on-campus interpreting services, access to specialists, or one-on-one tutoring? You may want to check out the school’s on-campus communities, student groups, and organizations for peer support.
Ask about accommodations and adjustments when visiting or researching the school. Ask about the staff and qualifications of the faculty.
Schools should provide deaf and hard of hearing students with access to interpreters and note-takers in their classrooms. Interpreters and hearing impaired students should be given sufficient space and viewing angles so that no material is missed. Central Washington University goes one step further. The school has an American Sign Language (ASL) Resource Center that facilitates face-to-face and online community, tutoring, and student success training.
Professors and instructors can inform deaf and hard-of-hearing students in advance of new or technical terms to avoid translation difficulties. Teachers should wait until interpreters have finished delivering their message before moving on or answering questions. They can also avoid saying anything important while students are reading or doing something else.