Empirical Article Inclusion in Postsecondary Institutions with Small Numbers of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students: Highlights and Challenges

This paper provides an examination of how small popula-tions of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students attend-ing New Zealand postsecondary institutions faced and dealt with various challenges in participating in classes, obtaining adequate access to services, and becoming socially integrated into campus life. Sixty-four students completed a survey and 8 were interviewed, providing information about their sup-port needs, learning, and social participation experiences and challenges within the postsecondary context. Findings indicated that access to accommodations that facilitated com-munication and inclusion were critically important to their learning and participation experiences but were not always available in the institutions they attended. Reflecting recent policy and legislative changes, greater awareness and greater funding support are needed within New Zealand postsecond