Resources: Interpreters

The interactive process engages deaf individuals and disability services professionals in a collaborative discussion regarding the impact of deafness and any necessary accommodations to mitigate barriers in the environment.

This two-part video explains the Americans With Disabilities Act and how it applies to postsecondary education for students who are deaf.

Deaf students continue to explore academic opportunities in the college setting. They often seek to participate in foreign language courses alongside their hearing peers rather than settling for alternatives to foreign language requirements. Frequently, both students and staff members are unsure of how to achieve successful access and accommodations for these courses. Effective approaches are determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration a variety of factors, including the student's accommodation needs, available resources, and the purpose of the course in the overall academic program for the student.

Regardless of one's role in administering an assessment—as a professor in a college course or a psychological examiner conducting an evaluation—test providers recognize the importance of obtaining an accurate measurement of student learning, knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and skills.

Interpreting and speech-to-text services are commonplace accommodations for an audience that comprises several deaf individuals who rely on different communication modes (e.g., ASL, lip reading). This type of dual accommodation most often occurs at large magnet events such as conferences. Dual accommodation for an individual student in a postsecondary setting occurs less frequently but is appropriate under certain circumstances.

Field experiences, such as internships, practicums, and clinicals, offer students the opportunity to gain the real-world knowledge and skills they need to become gainfully employed. Deaf students have a right to these experiences in the same manner as their hearing peers.

Approximately 20% of the adult population has a disability. Most deaf individuals do not seek vocational rehabilitation services, but those who do most often want employment-related services or education and/or training to prepare for employment.

At the nucleus of every successful vocational rehabilitation employment goal is a well-delineated individual plan for employment, often referred to as a roadmap of services that lead to employment. By better understanding the myriad services offered by vocational rehabilitation, a deaf individual is better positioned to make informed and self-determined choices about their employment future. Vocational rehabilitation offers a wide range of services. Some services are tangible, such as an alarm clock, uniform for work, hearing aid, etc. Other services are more intangible in nature, such as counseling, soft skills training, or career guidance.

Cochlear implants are complex electronic devices surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear. These devices use electrodes placed in the inner ear (the cochlea) to stimulate the auditory nerve of individuals who have significant permanent hearing loss.

Deaf individuals experience the same mental health concerns as their hearing peers and, as such, seek out the same services to address these concerns. However, unlike hearing individuals, deaf people do not always find equitable access to mental health services.

This brief summarizes the research related to effective communication between deaf and hearing individuals.