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Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The term ‘hearing impairment’ describes a loss of hearing which may range from mild loss (hard of hearing) to complete deafness. Students who are deaf may require a sign language interpreter during lectures. Students who are hard of hearing may use lip reading and hearing aids to enhance oral communication. For those who lip read, only 30/40% of spoken English is comprehensible even for those who are highly skilled.

Irish Sign Language (ISL) is the principal form of communication for deaf people in Ireland and is usually regarded as a deaf person’s first language. Sign language arose from within deaf communities and was developed by deaf people themselves. It is a full and complete language.

People who can hear develop their general knowledge through reading newspapers, listening to the TV or radio and talking with friends and family. People who are deaf or hard of hearing often miss out on this general knowledge and life experience. The knock-on effect may be reflected in their written work and they may have problems with sequencing, grammar or the overall structure of their writing.

Impact on learning

Student may have significant difficulties with learning and communicating through English such as:

Reading for meaning; including lecture notes, assignments and reference notes.
Linguistic difficulties and difficulties writing fluently and expressively in English.
Restricted English vocabulary, errors in grammar and spelling.
Misinterpreting information particularly where there is possible ambiguity in terminology.
Speed of work is slower due to difficulties with reading comprehension and written expression. As a result the student may have difficulty meeting deadlines.
Student may have difficulty completing assignments if they have missed information during lectures or classes.
Student may have difficulty communicating orally and participating in group activity.
Student may miss out on information during lectures or classes.
Student may have feelings of isolation.
Student may have greater risk of accidents because they may not hear warnings

Guidelines regarding Sign Language Interpreters

Please ensure that the interpreter receives a copy of any handouts or materials to be used.
Interpreting is a highly concentrated and tiring task. An interpreter will need to take breaks during lectures that are long or very intensive. A 10 minute break after every 50 minutes of continuous interpreting is recommended.
In some instances two interpreters may cover lectures that are particularly long and intensive.
The student will have a number of different interpreters each week and may have more than one interpreter on busy days.
Ensure that the lecture hall is well lit so that the student can see the interpreter clearly. When communicating speak and look directly at the D/HOH person.
The interpreter will convey the message in the first person and will communicate the meaning and content of what you are saying.
Speak to one person at a time in group situations. The interpreter can only interpret for one person at a time.
During lectures the interpreter will sit at the top of the class and the student will be seated in the front row.
Avoid walking between the interpreter and the student – this is an interruption.
Allow for the additional time that it takes the interpreter to translate a message from its original language into another language.
Be mindful not to engage the interpreter in conversation while they are interpreting.
Avoid words such as “this” or “that” when referring to something being demonstrated. Since the student’s eyes are focused on the interpreter by the time they look at what you are referring to, they will have missed it. Instead, identify objects by name.
Be aware that sign language is not a word-for-word rendition of English. Often sign language does not have signs for specialised or technical words and the interpreter will need to fingerspell these words. It can be helpful to define these terms and list any new vocabulary on the board or on handouts.
Similar to a student asking a question during a lecture, the interpreter may seek clarification on a particular point in order to explain it more clearly to the student.
Be aware that interpreters cannot actively participate in communication during a session.

How you can help

Please refer to the section on Inclusive Teaching and Assessment.
Use the principles of Universal Design when developing your materials. Now is a good opportunity for you to enrol in the Universal Design in Teaching and Learning Badge.
Deaf students are at a distinct disadvantage during lectures as the medium of teaching is through the spoken word. Deaf students also have significant difficulties learning through English and find reading comprehension and written expression particularly challenging. Inclusive teaching practices will help to alleviate the disadvantage of learning through English.
Very often the interpreter and the student will encounter new words during a lecture that have no corresponding sign in ISL. The flow of the lecture is interrupted as the interpreter either finger spells the word or agrees a new sign with the student. Provide a list of new technical terms so that new signs can be agreed in advance of lectures.
Repeat questions or remarks from other people in the room.
Ensure that both the student and the interpreter have a copy of all handouts before the lecture.
Deaf students can only attend to one source of information at a time i.e. the lecturer (via the interpreter) or the visual aid (overheads, slides etc.).

Exam accommodations

For all in-class assessments please refer to the exam accommodations detailed in the student’s Learning and Educational Needs Statement (LENS).

Exam accommodations are determined on an individualised basis. Examples of recommended exam accommodations may include:

Hearing Impairment Marking Guidelines for Examiners
Seating near the front in order to hear instruction
Extra time

Impact on placement

Not everyone will have the same needs in terms of accessibility and communication, therefore the potential challenges faced by an individual with a hearing impairment in the workplace will vary.

Background noise may make it difficult to hear important communications.

Challenges relating to communicating orally and participating in group activities.
Challenges interpreting information, particularly where there is possible ambiguity in terminology.
Difficulty using the telephone.

Placement Reasonable Accommodations

There is no one size fits all approach to implementing placement support as each person will have a unique set of challenges and coping mechanisms. The best way to establish what accommodations may be required, if any, is to attend a Placement Planning Meeting before starting on placement.

Examples of reasonable accommodations may include:

Supervisor to be aware of student’s hearing impairment and consider background noise reduction.

Assistive technologies such as amplified telephones, hearing loop system, speech-to-text reporters, captioning or voice recorders.
Allow written responses to facilitate communication.
Identify a mentor/work buddy so that the student can clarify any issues they may have and if that person can also check in regularly with the student.