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Students who are hearing impaired may require nothing more than some
form of amplification to participate in class—a hearing aid, a classroom sound system, or a professor/student transmitter receiver unit. Others may lip-read or have a cochlear implant, and some will require an interpreter.
Communicating with Students Who Are Hearing Impaired
In the classroom:
- Get the student's attention before you speak
- Look directly at the student and speak clearly in a normal tone of voice
- If you do not understand what the student says, ask the student to repeat it. If necessary, use a pen and paper to communicate the thoughts.
- When other students speak who may be out of the line of sight of
the student with the hearing impairment, repeat the question or comment,
and indicate (by motioning) who is speaking.
Outside the classroom:
- E-mail
- Relay system
- TTY/TDD
Things to consider:
- Seating arrangements
- Instructor's rate of speech
- Use of audio-visual equipment
- Terminology of the course that may be technical or not in common use
- A system for getting messages to the student when necessary. Class cancellations can be particularly costly if an interpreter is not informed in advance of such changes.
Students who lip-read
- Face the student. Remember to avoid speaking with your back to the student when writing on the blackboard.
- Ensure a clear view of your mouth.
- Keep hands or objects away from mouth
- Do not chew gum
- Consider lighting.
Students who communicate through an interpreter
Meet with the student and interpreter to discuss any special arrangements that may be needed. Direct your conversation to the student. This allows the student the option of viewing both you and the interpreter in order to more fully follow the flow of conversation.
Accommodations that may be needed and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Preferential seating
- Note-taker
- Announcements and instructions in writing, online, or made available by some sort of visual information media
- Use of amplified sound system
- Use of interpreter
- Captioned films
- No oral quizzes
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