The Higher Education Experience of Deaf Students: Student and Staff Perspectives

Hearing impairments affect around 5% of the population. Nevertheless, the academic literature is scarce with regards to the experience of students with hearing impairments in higher education. In particular, changes made during the Covid-19 pandemic had disproportionate effects on students with hearing impairments, given the mandatory wear of facemasks and visors during teaching sessions and the move to online teaching. This paper reports on findings from a two-study investigation into the higher education experience of deaf students, drawing directly on the experience of students and perspectives of academic staff. The paper presents (1) comparison data between students with and without hearing impairments with regards to mental health, academic achievement, and student engagement, (2) attitudes and knowledge gaps reported by academic staff, and (3) themes on the specific impacts of the pandemic-related changes in higher education teaching. Based on these findings, the paper concludes with best practice recommendations and specific action points to enhance the experience of students with hearing impairments in higher education