Top 5 Requirements for Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Support for the deaf and hard of hearing community is crucial to foster inclusivity and not discriminate. What that support looks like differs depending on the industry and environment. When it comes to supporting Deaf and hard of hearing students, there are both legal and ethical considerations. 

Communication access in education is improving. That’s thanks to a rising awareness around equity and accessibility. Understanding the legal obligations set out in the ADA and IDEA is key. 

The next step in the discussion is moving towards the practical side of meeting those requirements. Find out more about how to meet the top five requirements and avoid the common mistakes.

Understanding the Key Legislation

There’s a specific terminology for supporting Deaf and hard of hearing students. Many of the acronyms and abbreviations you see relate to the laws in place. However, there are also specific terms within them. Two of the key ones are FAPE and LRE. 

Free Appropriate Public Education means a tailored education for D/HH students that meets their individual needs. LRE refers to the least restrictive environment. It means that the environment must adapt to D/HH students instead of removing them from their education setting.

One of the key ways that’s achieved is through an individualized education program or IEP. It’s a legal document. An IEP outlines the specialized support for students with disabilities. 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The IDEA sets out how educational environments can provide assistance for children with disabilities. In terms of Deaf education requirements, there are two key areas to focus on. 

One is the use of IEPs. The other is the requirement to provide interpreting services for D/HH students. That can include oral interpreting, sign language transliteration, and transcription services.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

This civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. More specifically, it sets out that D/HH students, parents, and others are entitled to equal opportunity and access to participate in public school programs, services, and activities. 

It requires federally funded schools to provide accommodations. They can include interpreters, real-time captioning, assistive listening devices, and other auxiliary aids.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

Title II of the ADA sets out that schools must ensure effective communication with students. It specifies that there should be no discrimination when communicating with students with disabilities. 

One of the key requirements is that primary consideration is given to parents and students when determining auxiliary aids and services for communication. You can find out more about language access under the ADA.

Top 5 Requirements for Supporting D/HH Students

Knowing how to support Deaf and hard of hearing students effectively is the starting point. To ensure IDEA and ADA compliance and meet their needs, educators have to take practical steps. Paying attention to these top five requirements ensures that policy becomes reality.

• Provide Qualified Interpreting Services

One of the key ways to overcome communication barriers is through interpreters. You can ensure D/HH students are supported by providing qualified interpreting services. A certain standard should be met. What can help is when interpreters understand the educational environment. For that reason, certified interpreters are necessary, as they have the required knowledge.

Certified interpreters have passed certification exams and are recognized by governmental or professional bodies. Working with professionals from a language service provider means the interpreters understand the classroom environment. That includes assessment rules, as well as other school procedures. That means a seamless and more efficient level of communication in schools.

Often, the first choice is ASL interpretation services. ASL support in schools is necessary, but it’s not the default. It’s essential to treat ASL as one of the options and consider other modes. That could include cued speech, gestures, and speech or lip reading.

The setting and the nature of the material are two factors that can affect communication. However, the most important factor is understanding each student’s preferred communication style. 

When providing accommodations and support, it’s essential to respect their preferences first and foremost. Initial discussions and IEP meetings are useful points. Use them to determine which modes of communication are preferred and what will work best in different scenarios.

• Ensure Communication Access in All Settings

Education isn’t only what’s learned in the classroom. Different solutions are required for different parts of a student’s education. The informal settings matter as much as the formal settings. The legal requirements refer to participation in programs, services, and activities, not just classes.

If a class or activity is offered to students, it should be made available to all. To ensure accessibility for D/HH students, schools need to consider communication in every part of school life. That means language access in the classroom, assemblies, extracurricular activities, counseling, and more.

Education isn’t the only issue to focus on. Safety and security are also part of the picture. Schools often use bell systems to indicate the start and end of class. They’re also used to alert students to emergency situations. Adaptations are required for D/HH students. Visual alerts are an important tool. They provide visual signals that deliver information through symbols, displays, or flashing lights. 

Many parts of the school day involve presentations of audio and audiovisual material. In those cases, captioning is required. It involves converting the audio content into text on a monitor, screen, or other display system. It goes beyond stating the words said, as it should also identify the speaker, describe music, and detail any sound effects.

When audio material is live, you should use CART services. That stands for Communication Access Real-Time Translation. It’s a professional service that turns real-time spoken words into written text on a monitor, screen, or display system. You can find out more about implementation in this language access guide.

• Develop a Comprehensive and Personalized IEP

One of the essential requirements set out in the IDEA is that each student should have an IEP. As is clear from the name, you need to plan the program around the individual student’s needs. The results of the evaluation provide useful information, but the parent’s input and the student’s preferences are a significant part of the picture.

Alongside establishing a clear picture of the current needs, the IEP should also set goals and identify the appropriate support, services, accommodations, and modifications. For Deaf and hard of hearing students, this will involve specifying their interpreter needs for different activities and settings.

Interpreter services are just one piece of the puzzle. You’ll also need to identify the appropriate support tools. When it comes to educational accommodations for hearing loss, you could include assistive listening devices, visual aids, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. You can find out more about IEPs requirements and services to make your programs more effective.

IEPs are a collaborative process. Getting the student’s input on their communication preferences is a positive step. You should also work with the parents to ensure an approach that’s tailored to the student. Deaf experts help bridge the gap that often occurs with a lack of understanding around the effects of this disability.

• Train Staff in Deaf Awareness and Inclusion

While we’re on the topic of understanding the effects of this disability, it’s an important time to bring up training. D/HH students will come into contact with multiple members of staff and many different teachers. That means it isn’t good enough for just their homeroom teacher to understand how to support them.

Schools should program annual training for teachers and school staff. There are a variety of options, including one-to-one sessions, group training, online modules, and school assemblies. They explore the barriers to accessibility and look at the impact of assumptions and attitudes toward the Deaf community.

One of the most important lessons in this kind of training is how to create inclusive spaces. They outline culturally competent practices and how to use them in an educational setting. Learning about the history of American Sign Language is a useful insight to gain a deeper understanding of the people you work with. 

Through the training, teachers, other staff, and students can learn the basic ASL phrases. It also helps schools develop support services for Deaf students. The courses can cover the use of tools, such as visual aids, to enhance communication. Examples include printed visuals, including words, images, and ASL signs.

• Foster Inclusive School Environments

As per the legislation requirements, Deaf and hard of hearing students should be taught in the least restrictive environment (LRE). That means they should receive their education alongside their peers. One of the best ways to ensure this is to avoid isolation and removing them from the regular educational environment. 

Instead of special classes away from their peers, aim to create an inclusive environment within the class. Small adjustments add up, so consider combining several inclusive approaches. It’s important for teachers to face the class when speaking, to allow D/HH students to find seats with a clear line of sight, and to minimize background noise.

Inclusivity goes beyond the classroom. Find ways to embrace Deaf culture throughout your programs and activities, including peer mentoring to help students develop an understanding of their deaf identity. Running sign language clubs is an excellent way to encourage more students to learn ASL, which removes communication barriers.

You can increase understanding when you organize D/HH events. Don’t forget to promote them to the students, staff, and wider school community. Events can explore a range of topics. Communication for a sensory and multilingual world is one. Explore important events and developments in Deaf history and culture. Plus, add stories from the Deaf community. 

Five Common Mistakes to Avoid

By focusing on the top five requirements, you can ensure support for Deaf and hard of hearing students. However, to enhance your approach, schools and educators should also know what not to do. Here are five of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

• Assuming all D/HH students use ASL. - ASL is just one method of communication. There are many other ways to communicate. Examples include speech reading, visual aids, and more. Find out someone’s preference as early as possible and accommodate their way of communicating.
• Unqualified interpreters. - Interpreting is a skill, as it requires taking in information and relaying it. Sometimes, this can happen at speed, and at other times, it requires pauses for precision. Use certified interpreters to guarantee that communication meets a high standard. It’s more effective at removing the barriers that D/HH face. Partnering with a trusted language service provider ensures quality.
• Excluding students from non-academic settings. - Education is made up of multiple factors. Sign language interpretation in classrooms is a good start, but it isn’t enough. Take a comprehensive look at the different parts of school life. That includes extracurricular activities, and make sure that the accommodations are provided in those settings, too.
• Not updating IEPs regularly. - IEPs are living documents. They’re designed to set goals and track progress. If you don’t update IEPs, the modifications and support in place will stop being relevant. Set regular intervals for checking progress. Then, update IEPs accordingly with new goals and supports.
• Not harnessing the power of technology or using outdated tech. - There are a range of services that you can use to support D/HH students. One example is video remote interpreting. You need to use up-to-date technology to make the most of VRI in schools. It’s also worth checking whether what you have can be upgraded. As technology advances, real-time captioning, listening devices, and visual aids improve. 

Prioritizing Inclusive Access

School districts and education providers need to comply with several laws. The IDEA, ADA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act set out the required support for D/HH students. There’s also an ethical need to include Deaf and hard of hearing students. A school’s primary aim is to educate. Ensuring equal access to education is part of that.

To assess your current practices, contact Language Network. By partnering with experts, you can prioritize inclusive access. Read about Language Network’s services to find out more ways to overcome language barriers.