Conventions govern the use of language used to describe hearing loss. Deaf, with a capital 'D' is used to denote people who are profoundly deaf, and who belong to a cultural and linguistic minority. 'deaf' with lower case 'd' refers to people who may also be profoundly deaf, but who speak and lip-read. Those who experience severe hearing loss after maturity might be referred to as 'deafened.' The terms 'partially deaf' and 'hard of hearing' overlap, in that both may describe a moderate hearing loss, although 'partially deaf' usually denotes a greater hearing loss than that denoted by the expression, 'hard of hearing'.
Deaf (capital D) students and deaf (d) students have successfully studied many courses at the University of Strathclyde, such as PGCE (Secondary), Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Immunology and Gaelic. With some thought, and appropriate provision, students who are Deaf, deaf or hard of hearing (hereafter 'd/Deaf') can fulfil their educational potential.
The following notes are intended to help you to think about the possible needs of students who are d/Deaf. Reading these notes is not intended to be a substitute for discussing with individual students what their needs are, and how their requirements can best be met in an academic context. To know that a particular student is d/Deaf is actually to have very little information about the student's precise needs within your course's teaching context.
Reading these notes is also not a substitute for thinking about how teaching can be made more accessible to disabled students. For further advice on this, you should refer to the Teachability materials. (See Further Resources, below.)
There is a great range of causes of hearing loss, and a great range in degrees and nature of hearing loss, as variations in language used to describe hearing loss suggests. Some students will have been born deaf, others may have lost hearing, gradually or suddenly. Of many people who have some hearing difficulty, only a very small proportion of people have no hearing at all.
There is a significant difference between people who are pre-lingually deaf, i.e. who became deaf before learning to speak and read, and those who are post-lingually deaf, i.e. who became deaf before learning to speak and read, and those who are post-lingually deaf, i.e. who became deaf after learning to speak. There are additional complexities for pre-lingually deaf people learning spoken and written language, since hearing the spoken word is so important in learning to speak and write. Some people who use British Sign Language may write in 'Deaf English', i.e. be influenced in writing by the word order of sign language.
Different students who are d/Deaf will have different methods of communicating, and it is important to find out whether the student uses speech, lip-reading, sign, or equipment, such as a radio aid system.
Many students who are deaf lip-read. This means that they watch the lips of the person who is speaking, and try to work out what is being said. This is obviously easier if the person has some hearing. It is also significantly easier if the student has some contextual clues about the subject matter. Lip-reading can be more difficult where the accent of the speaker is new and unfamiliar. Some students use a trained lip-speaker to repeat what is being said, using clear lip patterns.
Many Deaf students use either Sign Supported English or British Sign Language. If this is the student's main method of communication, then an interpreter will be needed both to add a 'voice over' to the Deaf student's signing, and to interpret the speech of the lecturer or other speaker for the Deaf student.
Some deaf students use a hearing aid. While this amplifies sound, there can also be difficulties from background noise where these are also amplified. Students whose hearing aid has a 'T' switch can often benefit from an individual induction loop, or room loop, both of which use radio signals to transmit sounds via a microphone to the user's hearing aid. The individual induction loop, or radio aid, requires the speaker to wear a microphone. This is not so useful when there are several speakers, unless they remember to pass the microphone from speaker to speaker.
Where a student has any reduction in hearing, even if the effects are reduced by a hearing aid or other equipment, accessing information through lectures is likely to be more difficult, and tiring, than it is for most students. It is important to note that students cannot lip-read, or watch a signer, while simultaneously taking notes. For this reason, some students require a note-taker at lectures, and students using a signer are likely to require a note-taker as well. Seeing lips is critical for lip-reading. Moustaches, beards and unfamiliar accents can make lip-reading more difficult. Lip-reading is easier when the speaker's face is in good light, and not silhouetted against a background light source. Where there is a group discussion, as in tutorials, a student who is lip-reading must face the speaker, whoever that is.
Many d/Deaf students are able to use the telephone, some of which have a device for enhancing hearing where a hearing aid is worn. People who are d/Deaf may use a textphone, where the d/Deaf person types the message to another person with similar equipment, and incoming and outgoing messages are displayed on screen. Typetalk is the National Telephone Relay Service which enables textphone users to make calls to and from hearing people. Calls are made through an operator who types the hearing person's reply which appears on the textphone. E mail and text messaging are obviously useful alternatives to the phone.
Students who are Deaf may write English in a way which reflects the word order and grammatical conventions of British Sign Language.
As always, you must check with the individual student about what will be most helpful to him or her. It is important to do this discreetly, since students can experience embarrassment when undue attention is drawn to them in classes.
In all teaching contexts, you should remember that a person who is d/Deaf may be unable to hear a fire alarm. You should refer this issue to your Head of Department whose role it is to discuss procedures for the safe evacuation of the student with the Safety Office.
In Lectures and Seminars, you can help by:
First and foremost, ensuring that the student is provided with the subject context within which they have to lip-read
- ensuring your face is in good light
- speaking clearly, without shouting, and keeping hands away from your mouth
- keeping beards and moustaches trimmed
- standing still when talking
- making sure you do not continue talking when your back is turned to the lip-reader
- signalling to a student before starting to speak, so that they can start lip-reading at the right time
- using written notes and overheads to complement spoken language, especially new terminology
- providing a spotlight on the speaker's face, where the room is darkened
- providing a prepared outline of the lecture or seminar (with any new terminology) and giving this to the d/Deaf student and their signer, lip-speaker or note-taker, prior to the class, since d/Deaf students cannot lip-read or watch a signer while also note-taking
- asking speakers to indicate before they begin to speak, and reminding people of the need to face the student who is trying to lip read. (If people keep forgetting, then some object, such as a pen, can be passed around, with a rule in place that only the person holding the object is allowed to speak.)
- repeating questions or comments from the body of the class, where the layout is such that lip-reading other contributors would be impossible
- checking with the student beforehand about the best layout of seating in the room, where there is scope for flexibility in this. (A horseshoe or circular arrangement, where the d/Deaf student can see the faces of others, is usually the best.)
- helping the student to use technological aids, such as a radio aid system. (This might involve ensuring that the microphone is passed from speaker to speaker, or arranging that the person wearing the microphone repeats the comments from others in the group.)
- negotiating a change of room, where the acoustic quality or extraneous noises are creating additional problems
- allowing interpreters, and students following interpreters, to have short rest breaks appreciating that there will be a time lag when students use an interpreter to ask or answer questions, and making sure that allowance is made for this
- addressing the student and not the interpreter.
In Examinations, other tests and assignments, you can help by:
- providing written instructions to a student who may not hear oral instructions
- using clear and simple language in tests and examination questions
- considering an alternative examination format, such as allowing a d/Deaf student to use an interpreter and note-taker for answers to be signed rather than written. (This might be justified if the student would be unduly penalised for written expression, where this is affected by the fact that British Sign Language is the student's first language.)
- ensuring that tests or examinations involving speech (the student's or examiners') are set up with checks in place to minimise misunderstandings of questions or responses
- planning tests or examinations involving d/Deaf students well in advance, and seeking advice from the Disability Service.
In Practical Classes or Laboratories, you should remember that
- the layout of the room, and possible additional background noise, might create additional difficulties. You should ensure that you discuss with the student how the worst effects of any of these aspects of the accommodation could be minimised.
- Where a student's gaze is focussed on, e.g. equipment or a computer screen, lip-reading or following a signer is not possible, and any spoken instructions or information may be missed.
If there are
Placements, Study Abroad or Field Trips on your course, then you should:
- consult with the student and the Disability Service well in advance of any placement, study abroad or field trip, discussing what is required of students in these contexts and how their needs might be met.
- discuss with the student what technological or other aids and communication support workers they require, and consider how these could be used to best effect in different teaching contexts.
- consider whether any induction is required for external staff who will be working with the student.
- read Geography Discipline Network web-site (below) for excellent advice and information on access to field trips for d/Deaf students. This includes, for example, some key signs, such as the sign for 'Danger!'
Please contact the Disability Service for further information, or if you wish to arrange staff development sessions for your department.
Web version of the Teachability booklet, which can be used as a resource for helping your department to self-audit its provision for disabled students. Hard copies are available from theDisability Service.
'Providing Work Placements for Disabled Students' and 'Finding Out About People's Disabilities'. Good practice guides
SKILL: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities. This is a rich source of information of relevance to all staff in HE.
Disability Rights Commission. Guidance is available here on the new legislative climate surrounding your provision for disabled students.
- Related
- Struggling with your mental health?
- Working With Students Who Are Blind Or Partially Sighted
- Working With Students Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing
- Working With Students Who Have A Specific Learning Difficulty, Or Dyslexia
- Working With A Scribe In Examinations.