Checking in With Deaf Students on Campus

As the school calendar ramps up during Deaf Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to check in with your Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The start of the school year can be hectic and intimidating for all new or returning students. For the Deaf student population, there exists an additional layer of concerns. Some Deaf students might arrive well prepared to ask all the right questions. Others may have no experience with accessibility and accommodations, so would not even know where to begin.

A thoughtful check-in process will help bridge the knowledge gap, especially for your new Deaf or hard-of-hearing students. Building an inclusive environment for Deaf students levels the playing fields and increases the range of opportunities for these young people to reach higher degrees of success.

On campus support services exist to help ensure the needs of Deaf students are being met. When looking for how to best support your new Deaf students, help them learn what questions to ask. They will want to ask about testing, classroom accommodations, and healthcare resources.

At DSU our team of academic experts has curated a full page of resources for you to share with Accommodations Coordinators and new Deaf students. Please have a look and download all the wonderful resources on our For The Deaf page.

For The Deaf

Questions to Ask an Accommodations Coordinator

On campus, the Accommodations Coordinator provides students, faculty and staff with support in identifying and implementing reasonable academic and other accommodations as needed and in compliance with federal guidelines. It’s important to understand what questions your Deaf or hard-of-hearing students will need to ask in order to make the most of their university experience.

Some students may have a checklist already prepared, while others may show up without any preparation. At DSU we have assembled some important and common questions for new students to ask when they arrive to campus. Questions like, “Are there active listening devices in the classrooms?”

Check out this resource at the DSU website titled, “Questions to Ask My Accommodations Coordinator.”

Download This Resource