Deafness

Deafness isnt the

opposite of hearing, its a
silence full of sound.
- Mark Medhoff
Individuals with Disabilities Act
IDEA brings together resources and information
for disabilities in educational settings.

Access the website at:

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
 DEAFNESS:
lacking or deficient in the sense of hearing
 Idea Defines Deafness as:
a hearing impairment that is so severe
that the child is impaired in processing
linguistic information through hearing,
with or without amplification. (Special
Education Guide, 2017)
 CHARacTERISTICS OF THE PROFOUNDLY DEAF
Absolutely deaf meaning they are unable to
hear at all

Cannot use any amplification techniques to

help them hear

Often times cannot speak as theyve never

heard peoples voices and therefor cant
mimic them
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROFOUNDLY DEAF
The profound deaf are almost always born
completely deaf meaning they didnt lose
their hearing, they never had it to begin with

Anybody who cannot hear a sound below

90dB is profoundly deaf. There are some
cases where they cannot hear anything no
matter the sound level
 FACT:
In 1991, Gallaudet University (the school of for
the deaf and hearing impaired) conducted a
study to find the population of deaf and hearing
impaired persons in the US.
 Gallaudets 1990-1991 Study
Deaf, both ears Cannot hear or Can hear & understand
understand speech words shouted in the
better ear

421,000 cases 552,000 cases 1,152,000 cases

Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of
population: 0.18% Population: 0.23% Population: 0.49%
 Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University was established back in
1864 by Congress. President Lincoln took time
from the civil war to sign Gallaudets charter to
allow deaf students to earn degrees. Gallaudet is
the third oldest federal institute of higher
education after the Military and Naval
Academies.

The school has a focus more on visual education

and communication; largely sign language. They
even offer public videophones for
communication. (Jordan, 2005)
 Sign Language is Everything
The most important necessity for the
profoundly deaf is the need to communicate.
This is where sign language comes in.
Lets learn some Sign Language!
http://babystrology.com/baby-learning/baby-
sign-language/
Percentage out of 6,550,000 people in the World
 Should all deaf children learn sign language?
Research was done on whether not deaf children should
learn how to sign from a young age. >95% of deaf
children are born to hearing parents (Mellon, MS, &
Niparko, 2015) meaning most families dont already know
sign language. ...suggested that deaf children be given
access to both oral/aural and signed language to enable
them to make their own choice when old enough to do so
(Scambler, 2015) is a great way of using both lip reading as
well as some sign language to communicate so the child
will have the option of both and will be able to choose once
they are old enough. Having both will also benefit them in
general education classrooms as they will be able to at least
somewhat understand their teachers.
Accommodations in
Educational Settings
Most, if not all, deaf students require assistance if they are
attending a public hearing school.

In an article studying the In the same article, the authors

difference of deaf college
students who used two
different types of
accommodations, Stinson,
Elliot, and Kelly (2017) stated
One way access is provided is
through a sign language
interpreter, and a second is
through a real-time speech-
to-text support service (i.e.
classroom captioning).
go on to give more examples of
other means of
accommodations for the
students. The most common
one in secondary education is
the use of note-takers. Peers or
professional note takers will
handwrite notes that are
provided in class and give them
to the student once theyre
done.
Interpreters are the most
common form of assistance
provided to students in their
classrooms. Whether through a
volunteer or a paid professional,
the student will use their
interpreter to translate what the
instructor is saying as well as any
peers they need to talk to for
group activities. Many schools
dont offer interpreters as they
can be quite expensive so it isnt
as easy for them to hire anyone
to assist them.
Video Phones are another
popular way of communication
between those who are
profoundly deaf. As they
obviously cannot hear telephone
conversations, they use the video
function on their cellular devices
to chat with who theyre
speaking to, this way both parties
can see each others signing.
There are some phones that
allow text to be transmitted
through a phone call but these
have recently been falling in
popularity.
Audio captioning provides
students with the option to put
word captions for online lecture
videos or even movies they need
to watch for their classes. This
option is becoming more popular
as years go on as it is an easy
service to provide. Even outside
the classroom, audio captions are
available at movie theaters
during specific showings.
Speech synthesizers are devices
that allow the user to type in a
message they would like to say
and then the device will speak it
for them. This is a great device
for the profoundly deaf as speech
is rarely an option for them and
this allows them to go out into
the public and ask for help from
those who do not understand
their sign language.
 How to make a child feel welcomed in class
Have note-takers ready to
assist the student with
getting all the information
they need. While an
interpreter is nice, a note-
taker who is hearing the
instructor talk will allow
for every single word to get
written down without
delays of having to get
translated. Plus, note-
takers allow the student to
get notes early.
Treat them like you would
treat anyone else. Even if
their interpreter isnt
around, talking to someone
who cannot hear is still
simple. Write down your
conversation, have them
teach you some sign
language, make an effort
for them. Its already hard
enough, the least you can
do is make it a little easier
for them.
https://www.signings Education options for
avvy.com/blog/81/Edu deaf children
cation+Options+for+C
hildren+that+are+Dea
f+or+Hard+of+Hearin
g
 Available
Resources
 Community Resources
AZ DES RSA services for Deaf provides services for deaf
adults. These services include info and referral, advocacy,
peer support groups, training in independent living skills,
and goods and services for adults transitioning into
adulthood who are deaf impaired and desire to achieve a
greater level of independence. Services may include
vocational counseling and guidance, job development and
placement, employment training, assistive technology,
rehabilitation teaching for the blind, orientation and
mobility training, instruction in Braille, and adjustment to
disability counseling.

https://des.az.gov/
 Community Resources
Valley Center of the Deaf:
Provide resources for the deaf community such as
interpreters, telephone relay, and counseling service. They
are a free service and all their employees are fluent in ASL
to help make the assistance process easier.

http://www.vcdaz.org/index.htm
 Community Resources
Desert Voices:
Their goal is to teach young children who are deaf or hard
of hearing oral language skills. They are Arizonas only
nonprofit, private oral organization.

http://www.desert-voices.org/
 State Resources
Arizona Commission for the Deaf:
Provides information and referrals to services
for people who are deaf, their families,
professionals, and other interested people.
Advocates on behalf of consumers when needed.
Also licenses sign language interpreters.

http://www.acdhh.org/
 State Resources
Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind:
Provides education for all children who are deaf,
blind, or hard of hearing. They collaborate with
families, school districts, and communities, and
partner with other agencies to provide excellent
education.

https://asdb.az.gov/
 National Resources
Alexander Graham Bell Association for The Deaf:
Provides information about childhood deafness and
the importance of early diagnosis and intervention
to families, health care providers, and educators.
Sponsors summer camps for youth with deafness.

http://www.agbell.org/
 National Resources
American Society for Deaf Children:
They are committed to helping families with deaf
children and youth gain full access to language-rich
environments through mentoring, advocacy,
resources, and collaborative networks.

http://deafchildren.org/
 2-3 out of 1,000
Children are born with hearing loss

More than 90%

Of deaf children are born to hearing parents

~15% of adults 18+

Report having trouble hearing
TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR
 Resources
Holt, J., Hotto, S., Cole, K. (1994). Demographic Aspects of Hearing
Impairment: Questions and Answers. Retrieved from
http://research.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/factsheet.php/
Jordan, I. (2005). The Gallaudet Experience: Deafness and Disability.
PMLA, 120(2), 625-627. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/stable/25486197
Mellon, N.K., Niparko, J.K., Rathmann, C., Mathur, G., Humphries,
T., Napoli, D.J., Handley, T., Scambler, S., & Lantos, J.D. (2015).
Should All Deaf Children Learn Sign Language? Pediatrics, 136(1),
170-176; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-1632
 Resources
Special Education Guide. (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-
profiles/deafness/
Stinson, M.S., Elliot, L.B. & Kelly. (2017) Deaf and Hard-Of-Hearing
High School and College Students Perceptions of Speech-To-Text
and Interpreting/Note Taking Services and Motivation. Journal of
Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 29(1), 131-152. Retrieved
from https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1007/s10882-017-
9534-4