Deaf & Hard of Hearing

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Why it works

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (a distinct population with varied communication needs, some use sign language or interpreters, some use hearing technology and spoken language, some both) can fully access learning with the right supports, but a typical classroom presents constant access barriers (fast speech, multiple speakers, background noise, visual information not available). Supporting them means ensuring communication access (interpreters, captioning, assistive listening technology as appropriate), classroom practices that aid access (clear sightlines, one speaker at a time, facing the student, visual supports), collaboration with specialists, and attention to language and social inclusion. Access must be deliberate.

The research: Research on educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: ensure communication and learning access

Teachers leave with communication access and access-friendly practices planned.

Understand the student's communication needs (sign, spoken, technology, or a mix).
Ensure communication access (interpreters, captioning, assistive listening as appropriate).
Use classroom practices that aid access (sightlines, one speaker, facing the student, visual supports).
Collaborate with specialists and attend to inclusion.

Access must be deliberateDeaf and hard-of-hearing students thrive with full communication access, which rarely happens by default. Ensure communication access, use access-friendly practices, and include them fully.

Facilitator notes

Understand each student's communication needs, and ensure communication access.
Use access-friendly classroom practices.
Collaborate with specialists and include fully.

A typical classroom leaves deaf students without accessFast speech, multiple speakers, noise, and visual gaps shut deaf and hard-of-hearing students out. Ensure communication access and use access-friendly practices deliberately.

Adapt it

Elementary and secondary: the same.
All settings: communication access, access-friendly practices, specialist collaboration.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Deaf & Hard of Hearing: deliberate access

Not left out: communication access, access-friendly classroom practices, and specialist collaboration.

The communication needs (sign, spoken, technology, mix):
The communication access I ensure (interpreters, captioning, assistive listening):
The classroom practices that aid access:
My collaboration with specialists:
An access barrier to remove:

Make it stick

Deliberate access:

Ensure communication access.
Use access-friendly practices.
Bring a deaf/HoH support that helped to the team.

Common questions

What do deaf and hard-of-hearing students need?

Full communication access, which varies by student: interpreters or captioning, assistive listening technology, and classroom practices (clear sightlines, one speaker at a time, facing them, visual supports). Access rarely happens by default.

Do all deaf students use sign language?

No. Communication needs vary, some use sign language and interpreters, some use hearing technology and spoken language, some both. Know and support each student's communication.

What classroom practices help?

Face the student when speaking, ensure one speaker at a time, provide clear sightlines and visual supports, use captioning and assistive listening as appropriate, and collaborate with specialists.