College Student with a Disability:
A Faculty Handbook

The following suggestions compiled from publications of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and Gallaudet College, will facilitate the participation of students who are hearing impaired in (and out of) the classroom:

• Look directly at the person when you speak.
  
  

• Do not smoke, chew gum, or otherwise block the area around your mouth with your hands or other objects.
  
  

• Speak naturally and clearly. Do not exaggerate lip movements or volume.
  
  

• Avoid standing in front of windows or other sources of light. The glare from behind you makes it difficult to read lips and other facial expressions.
  
  

• Use facial expressions, gestures, and other "body language" to help convey your message.
  
  

• If you are talking through the assistance of an interpreter, direct your conversation to the individual who is deaf. This enables the person who is deaf to view both you and the interpreter and to follow the flow of conversation more fully.
  
  

• When other people speak who may be out of the range of vision of a person with a hearing impairment, repeat the question or comment and indicate who is speaking so the individual can follow the discussion.
  
  

• The use of visual media may be helpful to students who have hearing impairments since slides and videotaped materials supplement and reinforce what is being said. Alteration in lighting may interfere with the student’s capacity to read manual or oral communication. Slides and videotaped material may be difficult to interpret because of sound quality and speed of delivery. Therefore, interpreter "lag" may be greater. If a written script is available, provide the interpreter and student with a copy in advance.
  
  

• Captioned visual aids such as Captioned Films for the Deaf are extremely helpful. If appropriate, foreign language films with English subtitles are also useful.
  
  

• When covering new materials that involve technical terminology not in common usage, if possible, supply a list of these words or terms in advance to the student and the interpreter. Unfamiliar words are difficult to speech read or interpret.
  
  

• Avoid speaking with your back to the classroom when writing on the board. Overhead and opaque projectors are often a good substitute and allow you to face the class while writing.
  
  

• When particularly important information is being covered, be sure to convey it very clearly. Notices of class cancellations, assignments, etc. can be put in writing or on the board to ensure understanding.
  
  

• Establish a system for getting messages to the student(s) who use interpreting and notetaking services when necessary. Class cancellations can be particularly costly if an interpreter is not informed, in advance, of such changes.