Deaf interpreters (DIs) are deaf individuals who provide interpreting services, translation, translanguaging, and transliteration services in signed languages, including American Sign Language (ASL), other signed languages, and various forms of vi
Deaf people are a highly diverse population with a wide range of communication preferences, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and additional disabilities that shape their interactions with their environment. It is important to recognize that for many deaf individuals, “identity” is fluid and can change over time. Some experiences are shared by all members of this diverse community but there is also value in honoring differences such as communication preferences. This section is dedicated to understanding more about the diversity within the deaf community and working with individuals to create accessible environments.
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Topics: Deaf 101, DSP Toolkit, Interpreting
Useful For: Administrators, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, Interpreters, Parents, Speech-to-Text Provider, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Mental Health & Well-Being, Research & Data
Useful For: Disability Services Professionals, Interpreters, Parents, Speech-to-Text Provider, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Research & Data
Vocational rehabilitation (VR) services are designed to support disabled people in their pursuit of employment goals.
Useful For: Administrators, Employers, Parents, Students, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Interpreting
Interpreter consistency is a key element in ensuring effective access and effective communication for deaf people who use interpreters.
Useful For: Interpreters, Students -
Topics: Deaf 101, Mental Health & Well-Being
Decisions are made every day about deaf people’s lives without involving deaf people. This needs to change.
Useful For: Parents, Students, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, DSP Toolkit, Other Access Topics, Transition
More than 200,000 deaf students attend colleges nationwide. For these deaf students to succeed, college experiences must be accessible. Students also need to feel supported by and engaged with the campus community.
Useful For: Administrators, Disability Services Professionals, Parents, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, DSP Toolkit, Other Access Topics, Research & Data, Transition
More than 200,000 deaf students attend colleges nationwide. For these deaf students to succeed, college experiences must be accessible. Students also need to feel supported by and engaged with the campus community.
Useful For: Administrators, Disability Services Professionals, Parents, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Legal/Policy, Other Access Topics, Research & Data
In recent years there has been an increase in the number of veterans returning home with combat-related hearing loss and tinnitus. Deaf veterans may need accommodations and support to be successful in college and the work environment.
Useful For: Administrators, Audiologists, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, Speech-to-Text Provider, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Mental Health & Well-Being, Other Access Topics, Transition
Deaf teenagers with stronger family support are more successful after high school. To succeed, deaf people need to be able to make their own decisions, communicate about their preferences, and advocate for their needs.
Useful For: Parents, Teachers -
Topics: Deaf 101, Research & DataEmployment is one of many possible outcome measures, but one that is typically used as an indicator for the ability to live independently, attain financial stability, and maintain a quality of life that is aligned with one’s goals.
Useful For: Administrators, Disability Services Professionals, Parents, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Legal/Policy
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) work together to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion, discrimination, and unequal treatment in education, employment, and the community.
Useful For: Administrators, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, New Users, Parents, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Legal/Policy
Effective communication affords deaf individuals the ability to share and/or receive information in a manner that is successful for them. Effective communication increases the opportunity for full and equal participation in any situation. Effective communication is fluid and allows all parties to receive and respond to information equally.
Useful For: Administrators, Audiologists, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, New Users, Parents, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Interpreting
The role of the interpreter appears to be very straightforward—to effectively facilitate communication between deaf individuals and those who are hearing. However, the complexities of the task, the varieties or types of visual interpreting, and the enormous range of qualifications brought by the interpreter make it anything but simple.
Useful For: Audiologists, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, New Users, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101
The ability to communicate defines us as human beings and as a society. It forms a foundation for decision making and relationship building. Communicating with deaf individuals is an achievable goal, even when accommodations (e.g., interpreters) are not present. The tools available to us are considerable and limited only by our creativity and desire to communicate.
Useful For: Audiologists, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, New Users, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101
The characteristics of Deaf culture are formed out of many shared life experiences rooted in a visual world designed for communication ease.
Useful For: Audiologists, Disability Services Professionals, Employers, New Users, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Speech-to-Text (Services)
Today's technology affords deaf individuals access to the world like never before. Speech-to-text is one example of technology that brings access to individuals who are visual communicators.
Useful For: Disability Services Professionals, Employers, New Users, Parents, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Research & Data
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the most current data on educational attainment trends and trajectories for deaf individuals in the United States, serving as a resource for community members, educators, researchers, and policymakers.
Useful For: Administrators, Disability Services Professionals, Parents, Students, Teachers, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals -
Topics: Deaf 101, Research & Data
This brief summarizes the research about attitudes toward deaf individuals as critical factors that influence their academic and employment outcomes.
Useful For: Disability Services Professionals, New Users -
Topics: Deaf 101, Research & Data
This brief summarizes the research related to effective communication between deaf and hearing individuals.
Useful For: Employers, Interpreters, New Users, Students, Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals