By Intelligent.com’s Higher Education Team
According to the National Deaf Center of Postsecondary Outcomes, students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) are more likely than other students to attend college courses online: 17.1 percent of DHH students take their entire college program online, while only 10.7 percent of students with no hearing issues do the same.
This preference for online courses is likely because it allows DHH students to set up their own accommodations like online captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters rather than relying entirely on their school’s resources.
There are still challenges for DHH students taking online courses, though. Such students should do their research and seek out schools that fully accommodate their needs.
Below, we’ll go over these challenges and accommodations in more detail. We’ll also review the top colleges and scholarships available for DHH students and additional resources that may be helpful.
Common Challenges
It can be difficult enough to learn new concepts and absorb information even when students can clearly understand every word their teacher is saying. But, for the 1.3 percent of DHH college students in the United States this can be even more difficult—especially without the right accommodations. Without those, these students can struggle to follow along with lectures or understand instructions to assignments.
Difficulty with communication and accessing information happens outside of the classroom, too, with peers in social situations. This makes it harder to collaborate with other students and can lead to feelings of isolation. This in turn can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.
Transitioning to Higher Education
In high school, teachers and administrators will generally take the lead on providing DHH students with the necessary accommodations. But in college, students over 18 are legally adults and must take responsibility for making sure they get the services they need.
Before classes start, DHH students should contact professors or school officials to communicate their needs. Since online students won’t have access to on-campus resources, they should be especially proactive about reaching out and setting up any necessary accommodations.
Many students who take online courses may not live in the same city as the college they’re attending. But, even if they’re not able to meet in person, online students can still meet with faculty real-time using teleconferencing apps such as Zoom.
Advice From an Expert
We spoke with Sarah Honigfeld, the education policy specialist for the National Association for the Deaf.
What advice would you give to a student who is deaf or hard of hearing who is considering college?
My advice for new DHH students is to seek out resources right away. I wish I had done that as a new undergraduate student. When I started my master’s and doctoral programs, I immediately contacted the disability office at both schools and developed relationships. Having these relationships in place as early as possible not only helped me get the right accommodations, but also to meet new people in the community and find events or groups to participate in. Being proactive eases your transition to a new school with new people and new expectations.
How can family and friends support students transitioning to college?
Families can support their deaf or hard-of-hearing child transitioning to college as early as high school by including their child in accommodation-related decisions. This helps better prepare the student to be proactive about seeking information and making accommodation decisions.
What tools or resources would you recommend to a DHH student attending college?
Deaf and hard-of-hearing students transitioning to college should always contact the disability office or the disability resource center at their new school. Establishing that relationship right away gives them access to campus resources, and sometimes community resources. I also recommend seeking out other students with similar experiences who use similar accommodations. Developing peer relationships means you have someone who can give you advice or share experiences with. The disability office may be able to offer support for networking with other students.
Prospective Schools
Consult with a disability counselor at each prospective school to get a comprehensive understanding of all offered accommodations. This information will help students and their families determine which choice is best for them. Please note the data below is from early 2023 and subject to change. The “Intelligent Score” for each institution listed below is Intelligent.com’s ranking of colleges and programs across the country using aggregated, publicly available data, without advertising or affiliate relationships with schools.
Gallaudet University
Founded in 1864, Gallaudet University was originally a grammar school for deaf and blind children. Today, it is the only university in the country where all programs and services are designed specifically for DHH students. Gallaudet University designs all of its classes with a focus on direct, visually accessible communication. To be accessible to all students, it uses two languages—ASL and written English.
Gallaudet University is a liberal arts and science college that offers more than 50 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs with online and continuing education.
Intelligent Score: 92.64
Tuition: $688 per credit
Location: Washington, D.C.
Number of Students: 1,795
California State University, Northridge
In terms of enrollment, California State University, Northridge, is one of the largest colleges in the country. They also boast an impressive set of resources for DHH students—you can request video captioning and interpreting services directly through their website.
The school is also quite affordable, and they offer a number of degree programs that are available online. This includes a bachelor’s degree program in public sector management and master’s degree programs in communicative disorders, assistive technology engineering, instructional design, engineering management, and social work.
Intelligent Score: 89.27
Tuition: $277.50 per credit
Location: Northridge, California
Number of Students: 38,772
Howard College
Howard College’s SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf offers the country’s only self-contained community college experience for DHH students. The programs available at this school include an Associate of Applied Science in Interpreter Training degree and an American Sign Language: Deaf Support Specialist certification.
Intelligent Score: 85.43
Tuition: $475 per credit (qualified Texas deaf residents are exempt from tuition/fees)
Location: Big Spring, Texas
Number of Students: 4,379
Rochester Institute of Technology
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), which is one of nine colleges that make up the Rochester Institute of Technology, is the largest technological college in the United States for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
NTID instructors are specialized in teaching students who have hearing loss, and their faculty includes 135 in-house interpreters as well as 47 real-time captionists. Also, this school offers a wide range of certificate and degree programs that are available online, including master’s degrees in data science, business analytics, computing security, construction management, and product development.
Intelligent Score: 84.95
Tuition: $509.17 per credit
Location: Rochester, New York
Number of Students: 18,668
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee has ASL interpreting and real-time captioning services available for DHH students. They also offer over 40 fully online degree programs, including master’s programs in business administration, computer science, and library and information sciences.
Intelligent Score: 79.28
Tuition: $542.78 per credit for residents, $1,037.15 per credit for non-residents
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Number of Students: 24,724
Additional Resources
The following organizations provide assistance to DHH students:
All Deaf is a web forum for DHH users that has over 70,000 registered members and 2 million posts. The forum includes specific sections for topics such as ASL practice, experiences with hearing aids, and the American with Disabilities Act, or to simply connect with other members of the community.
Hearing Loss Association of America is one of the leading organizations for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. The association provides support services and advocates for issues that affect the community. There are many local chapters throughout the country—to attend a meeting, check their Find a Chapter map. They also offer college credit for interning at their national headquarters near Rockville, Maryland.
International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young People advocates specifically for teens and young adults with hearing loss, and they regularly host professional networking events.
National Association of the Deaf is the nation’s premier civil rights organization for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, and it can provide free legal representation. They offer internship opportunities as well.
Sarah Honigfeld is a deaf adult who works as the education policy specialist for the National Association for the Deaf, and as an early childhood education consultant on a national level.
A version of this originally appeared on Intelligent.com, which aims to help students in their precollege journey by ranking colleges and programs across the country using aggregated, publicly available data. Please send questions or feedback to hello@intelligent.com or call 800.203.5102.
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