Supporting Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Faculty Quick Reference Guide
Why It Matters
1 in 7 Americans has some degree of hearing loss (Hearing Loss Association of America) ·
1 in 8 individuals (age 12+) has hearing loss in both ears (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
Hearing loss can impact:
· Understanding lectures and discussions
· Participating in group work
· Taking notes while listening
Create an Accessible Environment
· Minimize background noise
· Provide preferential seating
· Ensure good lighting (avoid backlighting)
· Stay relatively stationary while speaking
Communicate Effectively
· Face the student and gain attention before speaking
· Speak at a natural pace and volume
· Avoid covering your mouth or multitasking when speaking
· Pause regularly to check understanding
· Repeat or summarize student comments and questions
Use Effective Teaching Strategies
· Provide notes, vocabulary, and materials in advance
· Share written instructions and assignments
· Give written explanations before demonstrations
Show, Then Tell
1. Show visual material
2. Pause
3. Explain
Students cannot watch visuals and speech/interpreters at the same time
Working with Sign Language Interpreters
· Share materials in advance
· Position interpreter near you, well-lit
· Speak to the student, not the interpreter
· Allow time for interpretation to finish
Group Discussions
· One speaker at a time
· Pause between speakers
· Identify speakers and restate questions/key points
Speechreading (Lip Reading) Tips
· Always keep your face visible
· Avoid backlighting and movement
· Do not cover your mouth
· Use clear masks if needed
· Finish writing/demonstrating before speaking
Note-Taking Accommodations
Students who are Deaf or hard of hearing have an accommodation to use a notetaking software. It is listed on their accommodation letter as:
· Receive slides in advance
· Record lectures
· Use laptops/tablets for notes
✔ Supports difficulty with listening + notetaking simultaneously
Accessible Media
· Caption all videos
· Provide transcripts for audio
· Review captions and transcripts for accuracy
Collaboration & Support
· Meet privately with students to review accommodations
· Interpreters may stay briefly after class for communication support
Additional Resources
1. National Deaf Center: Communicating with Deaf People
2. UT San Antonio: Tips for Teaching Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
4. We Are Teachers: How to help Students Who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Succeed in School
5. National Deaf Children's Society: Lip Reading
This guide is intended to support inclusive teaching practices and ensure that students who are Deaf or hard of hearing have equitable access to instruction, communication, and course materials.