Students who are deaf
or have a hearing impairment
Student profile
Carol-lee
I became deaf when I was four years
old. At present I am working full-time and my university studies fit
in perfectly with my job, working for the Australian Association of
the Deaf. I would like to continue working in the field of policy
making, advocacy and research with political organisations for the
deaf.
I use a full-time interpreter at uni
and this has been funded by the university, which has been a huge
help for me.
I find it valuable to approach each
lecturer before class and make sure they understand my requirements
and my use of an interpreter...In tutorials I make sure the tutor
and fellow students understand how I work with an interpreter.
Carol-lee, graduate, Bachelor of Arts (Social
Science)
now General Secretary, World Federation
of the Deaf Stockholm, Sweden.
It is estimated that one in ten Australians
are deaf or have some form of hearing loss. Illness, prenatal impairment,
workplace noise and accidents are the major causes of deafness and hearing
loss. The effects of deafness and hearing loss on communication depend
on the extent, type and time of onset of the disability.
The extent may range from mild to profound,
and may involve the loss of some or many frequencies of sound. It is
often possible for people to hear certain sounds (usually of low frequency,
such as vowels) but not others. Some sounds may be distorted or grossly
amplified. Also, hearing levels may fluctuate and a student who hears
quite well one day may have considerable difficulty the next. A 'mild'
loss may still make it impossible for the student to understand a lecturer's
voice eight metres away, even when a hearing aid assists at closer distances.
Students who have been deaf from birth,
or prelingually, may have varying degrees of speech. For those who choose
to speak, feedback is limited, so vocal control, volume and articulation
may be affected. This can result in the student's voice sounding different.
Depending on the nature of the impairment,
students may use a combination of lip reading, sign language interpreters
and specialised equipment to augment their hearing loss.
Auslan
Members of the Deaf Community may use Australian
Sign Language or Auslan. This is a recognised community language with
its own syntax and structure. For these students a sign language interpreter
is likely to be necessary in most teaching situations.
Auslan may be the student's first language,
with English as their second language. Auslan uses signs for words combined
with body language to communicate tone and emphasis. There are many
words in the English language that do not have corresponding signs.
These words may be finger spelt or, if they are used frequently in a
course, the interpreter and student may devise a sign for them to speed
up the translation process.
Role of the interpreter
For some students, the interpreter functions
as the student's ears and voice. The student hears and understands,
and speaks through the interpreter. Generally, it works best for the
student if the interpreter sits or stands next to the lecturer or tutor
so the student has a clear view of them both.
Lip reading
Lip reading or, more correctly, speech
reading is generally used together with the sound patterns provided
by a hearing aid. Some individuals lip read or speech read extremely
well, while others scarcely do so at all.
With lip reading, only 30 to 40 per cent
of spoken English is comprehensible, even for those who are highly skilled.
Points to remember when addressing a
student who lip reads include:
- Always face the student.
- Don't turn sideways in a lecture hall.
- Don't place your hand over or around
your mouth.
- Beards can be a problem, when they
obscure the mouth.
- Be aware that books and microphones
can obscure vision of the mouth.
- Lip reading may be easier if the student's
hearing loss occurred after English was acquired.
Hearing aids or amplification systems
Hearing aids may be of limited use in a
lecture room because of distance, background noise and acoustics. Technological
equipment that may be useful for some students includes:
- FM transmitter/receiver systems with
a clip-on microphone for the lecturer/ speaker;
- permanent or in-built induction/audio
loop system in which the lecturer speaks into a microphone and the
student is able to hear by using a special switch on their hearing
aid;
- temporary audio loop systems set in
place prior to the lecture.
Unfortunately, amplification can pick up
other extraneous or ‘dirty’ sounds that people who hear may not find
annoying; for example, air conditioners, florescent lights and computers.
For this reason the quieter the learning environment the ‘cleaner’ the
information being amplified
Identifying students who are deaf or
have a hearing impairment
Indications:
- wears a hearing aid
- has an interpreter and/or notetaker
- strains to hear
- may use loud or distorted speech
The level of adjustment will vary with
each student so it is important to find out what each student's particular
needs are.
Teaching strategies for students who
are deaf or have a hearing impairment
Working with interpreters
Most signing Deaf students rely on the
interpreter to sign all spoken communication, and then voice their responses,
although a few are able to speak their own responses.
- Address the student directly (not the
interpreter).
- Arrange a briefing with Disability
Officer.
- Discuss with the student the best position
for the interpreter so that the student can see both lecturer and
interpreter.
- Allow time for the process of interpreting,
particularly when technical terms are being used.
- Be prepared to make course material
available ahead of time for familiarisation by the interpreter.
- Supply interpreters with lists of specific
terms/relevant jargon before lectures.
- Provide rest breaks for the interpreter–this
is very important for their health and safety as a university employee.
Translation between the English used in university courses and Auslan
can be mentally exhausting. Interpreters have a high incidence of
occupational overuse injuries and their professional association recommends
they be given a ten minute break after every hour of translation.
If this is difficult for you to comply with speak with the interpreter
and contact the Disability Officer.
Large groups (lectures)
Most students could benefit from:
- Front-row seating, 1 to 3 m from lecturer.
- Well lit, unobstructed view of lecturer's
whole face.
- Use of visual cues whenever possible,
to enhance understanding and memory, explain new concepts, note unusual
or foreign terms or names:
- Write or draw on whiteboard, butchers
paper, overheads
- Pictures, slides, posters, diagrams,
overheads
- Acting, gesturing, body language
- Topic headings, lecture plan, labelled
equipment
- Advance notice of the use of alternative
formats such as audiovisual material.
- Written copies of course outlines,
lecture notes, technical terms and, if available, printed transcripts
of audio and audiovisual material, e.g. video or film.
- Captioning of all audiovisual material
such as videos.
- Handouts or writing on the whiteboard
about important course information such as changes in assignments,
scheduling, deadlines, room changes, excursions.
- Having questions or remarks from students
repeated before the lecturer responds.
Some students could also benefit from:
- Authorisation to use a tape recorder
for staff lectures and guest lectures.
- Services of a note-taker.
- Use of microphone–necessary for students
using an in-built or portable loop system to hear. Access to the system
may need to be booked in advance.
- Prior knowledge of alternative formats
to be used such as audiovisual material.
Small groups (tutorials and experiential
group work)
Most students could benefit from:
- Well-lit circular grouping with seating
at seminars, to 3 metres, with student not facing the light .
- Sitting near group leader/main speaker
if others are directing comments to that person.
- Directing the student's attention to
the person who is speaking, perhaps repeating what they have said
if the person has missed it.
- Making sure only one person is speaking
at a time.
- Encouraging others to face the student
when speaking, to speak a little more slowly, and to avoid covering
the mouth when speaking.
When an interpreter is used:
- Discuss with the student the best place
for the student and interpreter to sit.
- Model to students a way of always speaking
directly to the student, not to the interpreter. For example: 'What
do you think about...?' (addressed to the student) and not 'Ask her
what she thinks about...' (addressed to the interpreter).
Some students could benefit from:
- Each speaker in the group using a microphone
- Use of a multidirectional mike
- Summaries/notes of discussion from
other students
- Convening a smaller tutorial group
with students willing to adopt communication strategies to accommodate
the student who is deaf or has a hearing impairment.
Laboratory and field work
Most students could benefit from:
- The suggestions above for large groups
and small groups.
- An individual tour of the lab with
a discussion of how best to handle safety issues.
- Relevant information and instructions
presented in written form at each lab session.
- Clear written instructions and warnings
on equipment.
- Discussion of ground rules to ensure
health and safety standards are met; thought given to particular 'What
if...' scenarios (e.g. evacuation plans, what to do in an emergency,
such as using a 'buddy system')
- Ensure audible alarm systems have visual
cues such as flashing lights.
- If possible, on/off status of equipment
should have indicator lights.
- Finding alternative methods of communicating
over a long distance during field work.
Distance education
- Use of TTY phone (telephone typewriter)
to allow communication by phone.
- Use of fax, email where possible.
- Caption videos and other audiovisual
materials and/or provide a full script.
- Signed video recordings of interpreter
in lectures.
- Access to printed or interactive materials
on CD-ROM
Flexible delivery
See also 'Distance education' above. Some
students would benefit from flexible learning situations.
General tips
- Access by email may be useful
- Normal delivery in clear and natural
tone; slow down a little if you normally speak fast. Avoid shouting
- this only distorts sound.
- Use short simple sentences.
- Allow a clear view of the speaker's
face at all times when speaking.
- Write new terms or concepts on the
board.
- Make eye contact with student before
beginning.
- If amplification is required, make
sure lecture/tutorial/seminar rooms can accommodate this.
- Reduce background noise as far as possible.
If necessary, engage the cooperation of other students.
Alternative assessment strategies for
students with hearing impairment
Adjustment of assessment tasks will depend
on the individual and the course requirements. Usually, this will be
negotiated by the student with the help of the Disability Officer.
It is possible that students might have
experienced considerable disadvantage in education and allowances may
be necessary with regard to spelling, grammar and written expression.
See also the Part B
on Assessment
Assignments
- Students may require more time to complete
assignments.
- Options may include giving a verbal
presentation in sign language with an interpreter, or a computer assisted
presentation
Tutorials
- Allow more time for presentation, particularly
when an interpreter is being used.
- Student may prepare written paper for
interpreter or other student to read, with questions asked and answered
via the interpreter.
- Tutor ensures that time taken to interpret
does not disadvantage the student's assessment with regard to participation
in discussion and debate in the group.
- One-on-one discussion with the tutor
may be preferable for assessment purposes, because of a student's
difficulty in following spontaneous group discussion.
Exams
- Any exam question errors will need
to be notified in writing by the exam supervisor.
- May require extra time to complete
exam papers.
- Written instructions replace information
usually read aloud by the examiner.
- Interpreter may need to be present
to translate oral instructions and information.
- Oral examinations or a one-on-one presentation
may be preferable.
- A separate exam room may be necessary
if the student is using assistive technology, or requires extra time.
- Students may request a video recorded
‘signed’ examination, answering the exam questions using sign language
which is video recorded for transcription to text.
- Some students may need to use a personal
computer with spelling and grammar checkers, dictionary and thesaurus.
