Recognising barriers: Deafness
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Communication between a deaf student, their tutor and peers can become a major barrier to learning.
For some deaf and hard of hearing students, background noise can be heard but human speech is difficult to understand. An induction loop linked to a hearing aid amplifies words spoken into a microphone and can make them more distinct, but comments from other people are not heard unless they also speak into a microphone. Some rooms are built in a way that emphasises unwanted noise and causes more difficulty.
Students who became deaf after they learned to speak may be able to speak sufficiently well that others assume that they can hear quite well, and suitable adjustments for ensuring good communication may not be made.
There is a limit to the amount of visual information that can be taken in at one time and the directions in which one person can look. Deaf students have particular difficulty when looking at notes, viewing video presentations or practical activities, if at the same time they need to take in someone's words through lip-reading or sign language. This point is especially relevant if lights are dimmed, because lip-reading and signing then become indistinct. Lip-reading is tiring and demanding as it includes a degree of guesswork. You may need to consider how best to sequence the giving of information so that it can all be properly absorbed.
Unfamiliar vocabulary can cause misunderstandings unless the context is given. New words should be written on the board, and an understanding of explanations should be checked with all students.
Interpreters and communication support workers who have not received learning materials in advance may have trouble in delivering those materials fluently.
Sign language interpretation causes a time lag, which needs to be accommodated, especially when asking for a student's contribution.
Deaf students may not be immediately aware of who is speaking, so that they miss lip-reading cues.
Changes in the teaching environment, such as going on a field trip, may bring added difficulties because of the differences in background noise and in ways of teaching.
Sustaining good communication strategies can be hard to maintain. Deaf students frequently comment that their lecturers start well but then forget and need reminding. So remember: if your teaching is to be accessible to deaf and hard of hearing students you must embed these strategies into your teaching practice so that they become second nature.