Research and Evaluation | Noteworthy Practices | Additional Links

Approximately one of ten individuals in your community has a significant hearing loss. Within this population, most individuals have some level of hearing impairment and only a small proportion of the group is deaf. Types of hearing loss include sensori-neural (nerve-related), conductive (affecting the outer or middle ear) or a mixed hearing loss (mixture of both types.) Most (95%) of adults with hearing loss are treated with hearing aids, and the remaining individuals (5%) may benefit from medical or surgical treatment.

Adult students with hearing impairments may require accommodations and assistive devices in the classroom setting to have best access to educational programming. Accommodations may be as simple as preferential seating or as complex as wireless assistive listening devices in the classroom. Each learner's needs must be evaluated, and accommodations should be provided to enhance the learning environment for that hearing impaired student. Agencies are responsible under the Adults with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide reasonable accommodations to enable these individuals with hearing impairments to become effective learners and to have access to the best educational services.

Research and Evaluation

• Augmentative Communication Research. University of Delaware research center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), dedicated to helping people with hearing and speech disorders attain educational, vocational and personal goals.

• Gallaudet University Technology Access Program. "Research group focusing on technologies and services that eliminate communication barriers traditionally faced by deaf and hard of hearing people."

• League for the Hard of Hearing's Research Center. List of publications based on the League's social science research on issues related to deafness and hearing loss.

Noteworthy Practices

• ABLE for the Deaf Adult Learner. Resources for adult basic education or GED teachers who are teaching adult, deaf students. Includes classroom strategies; curriculum resources; and information on deafness, accommodations, technology and interpreters.

• Gallaudet University. Premier institution of higher education for deaf and hard of hearing students in the U.S. and worldwide. Highly involved in research and educational outreach.

• Vermont Facilitated Communication Network. Provides education, training, technical assistance, resources, information and guidance for the development and use of best practices in facilitated communication (helping people with limited or no speech to communicate).

Additional Links

• Alerting and Communicating Devices for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People--What's Available Now. Article on assistive technology devices that can help people who are deaf or hard of hearing integrate into educational and community settings

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• IBM Accessibility Center. Information and resources on products and services that enable people with disabilities to participate fully in learning and work.

• League for the Hard of Hearing. Provides hearing rehabilitation and human services for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Website includes information on assistive technology for the classroom, meeting room or lecture hall.

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Part of the National Institutes of Health, the Institute conducts and supports research related to the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.

• Self Help for Hard of Hearing People. Organization devoted to enhancing the quality of life for the diverse population of people who are hard of hearing in the U.S.