Resources: Teachers

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.

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.

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.

Although visual language interpreters have become more visible and prominent in the classroom since the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, they have been a part of the educational landscape since the early 1970s. Still, their role is often confusing and distracting.

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.

Captions are the textual representation of audio content in a video format, communicating spoken dialogue, sound effects, and speaker identification. Captions provide essential access for the more than 30 million Americans with a hearing loss. They also benefit emerging readers, visual learners, non-native speakers, and many others.

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.

The characteristics of Deaf culture are formed out of many shared life experiences rooted in a visual world designed for communication ease.

The term universal design was coined by architect Ronald L. Mace to describe the concept of designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetically pleasing and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) brings this concept of inclusive design into the educational setting. UDL research shows that each student learns in a unique manner, so a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective.

Background noise and distance from the instructor may present barriers for some deaf students. When this is the case, assistive listening systems can play a role in reducing or eliminating these barriers.

This brief summarizes the research related to deaf culture as a potential resource to be drawn upon in support of postsecondary education and employment outcomes for deaf individuals.

This study used criteria from the What Works Clearinghouse to assess the quality of single-case design studies in research with deaf populations.

Self-advocacy is a lifelong endeavor that can never be learned too early or too late in life. Practicing self-advocacy is a critical element of the self-advocacy developmental process, and individuals who do it are better prepared to self-advocate in the future.

Late-deafened individuals experience a variety of challenges navigating the postsecondary environment due to a variety of internal and external factors. This document summarizes the research related to postsecondary outcomes for late-deafened individuals.

This study reviewed education and disability literature to find that students with disabilities who employ self-advocacy skills achieve greater academic and lifetime outcomes, suggesting that deaf students would benefit from self-advocacy skill development.

This study explored how vocational rehabilitation counselors promote the self-advocacy knowledge and skills of their deaf consumers within postsecondary employment and educational contexts.

Deaf individuals who live in rural areas face a different set of challenges from those living in more populated regions. As a result, deaf individuals who live in rural areas require support and services that address their unique needs. This document briefly summarizes the research surrounding the unique needs/challenges of deaf individuals in rural communities.

This study explores frameworks surrounding assessment policy and practice for deaf and deafdisabled students, current research related to standardized assessment, and potential implications.

The research brief summarizes the research and relevant resources related to the Common Core State Standards for teachers of deaf students.

This study reviewed the current literature, focusing on the factors that are important to keep in mind when considering the use of accommodations for assessment for deaf students.

This study assessed the influence of extracurricular involvement on postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals through a secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study.

This brief summarizes the research related to mental health care for deaf individuals.

This brief summarizes research related to the benefits and barriers of online learning for deaf students.

This study explored professionals' perspectives on what contributes to successful transition for deaf individuals, as well as their perceived professional preparedness to support that transition.

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 study synthesized the literature on role models for deaf individuals and identified key themes across the research literature.

This study assessed the influence of social skills on postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals through a secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study.

This study assessed the influence of English literacy skills on postsecondary outcomes for deaf individuals, through a secondary analysis of data from National Longitudinal Transition Study 2.

This study used data from National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 to explore the hypothesis that increased access to English through computer-mediated communication (CMC) can increase direct access to language and literacy for deaf individuals.

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.