STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

COMMUNICATION AIDS

Students with a hearing impairment often rely on hearing aids, lip reading, facial expressions and body language to help them understand speech.  These aids, however, have a limited scope.  Sounds produced by a hearing aid, for example, are often unclear and require training to understand.  Lip reading can only convey 30 to 50 percent of the spoken information.

Lip reading is dependent on factors such as familiar language, good lighting, and clear speech projection by the speaker.  It demands great concentration and is fatiguing over a long period of time.  Some students benefit from the use of a small wireless microphone and receiving unit.  The FM system functions like a hearing aid, but picks up only the speaker’s voice.

Some students with hearing impairments or a student who is deaf will require sign language interpreters to communicate at hearing and speaking levels.  Regardless of the technical aids or methods of communication used by the student, it is important for the speaker to cooperate as much as possible.

OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES

The coordinator of Disability Services will discuss the concerns of the student with a disability.  The coordinator can also ensure that necessary accommodations and resources are provided.  These include:

• Arranging for note-takers and interpreters
• Securing specialized equipment, i.e. word processors, FM systems, TDD systems, video taping, etc.
• Arranging of testing and other accommodations
• Liaison with faculty and academic counselors
• Providing personal support and advice

ACADEMIC CONSIDERATIONS

Students should make appointments to meet with professors before the semester begins.  This will allow them to resolve any course-related questions ahead of time.  It will also provide an opportunity to explore different means of communication.

Before the semester begins, the student should receive:

• A course outline
• A reading list
• Due dates for all assignments, tests and exams

SUGGESTIONS FOR SETTING EXAMS AND ASSIGNMENTS

To avoid confusion, details of assignments and exams should be written on the board or on a handout.  Some hearing impaired individuals have a widely recognized difficulty with grammar.  As a result, the student may need extra time on an assignment to make sure answers are comprehensible.

If special examination arrangements need to be made, the student can contact the coordinator of Disability Services.

SUGGESTIONS FOR LECTURERS AND LABINSTRUCTORS

See that students find the best seating position for maximum lip reading, and that they can get as much from hearing as possible.
Don’t talk with your back to the class or when writing on the blackboard.  It destroys any chance for the student to receive facial and lip reading cues.
Speak clearly and naturally, in complete sentences, and pausing slightly after technical terms. Avoid shoulder or hand motions that obscure the face. 
If possible, provide an outline of topics to be covered in the lecture.
If movies or slides are being shown, provide the student with a summary of the materials to be covered.
Cooperate, when asked, in wearing a FM amplification system.  It uses a wireless microphone that should not interfere with your lecturing style.
Understand that the student may need a note taker.
Allow the student to record the lecture for transcription or for reviewing later.If the student needs to use sign language, you might discuss where the interpreter could sit without distracting the other class members.
Write important announcements, instructions, or key words on the blackboard.
In labs, write down all instructions, especially about lab safety.  Chemicals, machines, and instruments should be clearly labeled.  A willing and understanding lab partner will also benefit the hearing impaired student.