Case Study: Deaf student in the CIS program at FIU
(A detailed discussion of the disability and learning implications for students)

Deafness is a disability that has a culture all of its own. A person can be either deaf or hard of hearing (HH) and may or may not consider them self to be Deaf. A person who is Deaf with a capital “D” considers themselves to be a member of the Deaf community. There has been much written about this cultural perception but one concise description can be read at http://www.nexus.edu.au/teachstud/gat/vial_pat.htm . It is important to understand this complexity, since the approach to providing accessibility services and how such services are received by the student can be affected by this distinction. Specifically, it is common for Deaf people see themselves as not having a disability, but rather a language barrier. In contrast a deaf person might more closely align themselves with the disabled student community and approach the resources differently. With this in mind, we can proceed with providing the best access to curriculum and campus resources possible for our hearing impaired community.

Not all deaf people learn sign language and to complicate matters further, some deaf people who use a manual language may not use American Sign Language (ASL). In general terms, ASL is considered to be the native language of the Deaf community where, in America, English is the native language of deaf people and some may choose to adopt ASL or a form of signed English in addition to studying spoken and written English. (The verbal ability of people with hearing impairments is vast. It can range from no ability to form speech to an ability to speak with reluctance or a decision not to use speech but to rely on ASL.)

There is a common thread among all hearing impaired people in that they must use their sense of sight as their primary communication avenue, not their sense of hearing. (The situation for a deaf-blind individual is very different, and outside the scope of this discussion.) For this reason, communication with a hearing impaired individual must be visual. That can be in the form of sign, picture/video, or the written word. Thankfully, as our technology has advanced, so has our ability to communicate information in a visual form. 

I am analyzing the needs of this student group from the perspective of one imaginary student, Isabel. She is a composite of several Deaf adults I have known and worked with in the past. Isabel is studying computer science at my university, but the support described here can be used for any discipline and in some cases at different educational levels. Isabel is 20 years old, and has been deaf since she was four years old as a result of a severe case of measles. ASL is her first language, which her hearing parents learned with her, and use in all their interactions that include Isabel. 

Isabel attended schools with both deaf and hearing children where ASL was emphasized in tandem with written English for the deaf students. Isabel considers herself a member of the Deaf community, has minimal speech ability, but is embarrassed to speak in public. Isabel is a proficient student and has solid skills reading and writing English. She has been doing well in her courses, completing the “core” requirements during her first two years, with only the assistance of an ASL interpreter. As she moves on to take the more advanced courses and courses in her major, she is beginning to struggle and has requested some additional assistance.  Isabel is exploring the graduate program and has established a personal goal to complete a master’s degree.

(A broad representation of specific adaptive/assistive devices and software available; an explanation of why the devices and software are appropriate as well as what particular elements of the disability they will improve)

Deaf people depend on their vision for most of their communicative input. From alarm clocks that vibrate the bed and wristwatches with timers that vibrate, to devices that flash the lights in the house when the door bell or phone rings, there are many devices that help deaf people function effectively in a hearing world. The traditional ways deaf people communicate in the world are also effective in the classroom and can be adapted or expanded to specific learning opportunities and environments.  For example, it is common for a literate deaf person to write notes to hearing people in small or personal settings to communicate information. In a classroom setting this technique is enhanced by technology into IP relay services. Some of the technologies that we take for granted are proving to be essential communication devices for people with hearing impairments and many of them can be adapted to a learning environment. I believe that there a wealth of ways to bridge the communication gap with hearing impaired students. New methods and applications of devices we use everyday are making this task easier. 

In Class ASL Interpretation
Visual communication using ASL is probably one of the most crucial services to offer a deaf student, particularly a student who sees them self as Deaf. Since ASL is the native language of a large number of hearing impaired people, and since the Deaf community sees themselves as having a language difference instead of a disability, this offering should be present in any access equity program. Isabel has been effectively using ASL interpretive services since she was in middle school, and has depended on this service at the university. She has found that this method has some limitations in more complex courses as she missed key information being signed when she looks away to jot her notes. We are therefore exploring other methods than can be used in tandem with ASL interpretation to fill the gaps for Isabel.

As we know, obtaining information in our native language helps us to assimilate that information most effectively and as such ASL interpretation is critical for hearing impaired students who have ASL as their native or primary language. The cost to an institution to employ an interpreter to be on staff, fulltime is between $20,000.00 and $35,000.00 annually. If there are a significant number of deaf students who use sign language in the community, this may be a fairly cost effective service to provide when considered on a per student basis.

Note takers 
Most campuses can assign note takers for students that need help receiving information from a class or lecture. This mode of communication might be more useful to a HH student, a deaf student who lip reads or a student who has an ASL interpreter since they would be able to focus on the action in the class and not have to move between “seeing” the conversation and taking notes. This is the case with Isabel. I recommend that to best address her concern for being able to give her complete attention to the lecture, and have access to the information in note form, a note taker be assigned to attend class with her. This would allow Isabel to have complete notes to refer to when studying and will not have missed any important classroom exchanges.

TTY, Relay Service and IP Relay Services
Voice to Text Technology
Relay services were traditionally offered over teletype machines to allow the deaf people a means to use the telephone. Now there are relay services that operate over IP lines and which can transmit voice-to-text or even video to a laptop. In the classroom environment a faculty would wear a microphone and the lecture would be transmitted via IP relay, translated, typed and fed back to the student’s laptop. This would allow a lecture or classroom conversation to be converted to text and displayed in real time. This creates a cohesive learning environment where the hearing impaired can participate effectively in class. This service can also be provided when a court stenographer attends class with the student, capturing the conversation and lecture directly on a laptop. The cost of these services in the classroom is determined by the local providers. There are some providers who offer the translation service for a small charge with the bulk of the cost tied up in the equipment: microphone and computer which can be purchased together for under $1000.00 in many instances. 

In the event that a note taker is not available, I suggest that IP relay service be provided in conjunction with an ASL interpreter. This would offer the same level of redundancy for Isabel so that she can engage in the course with the aid of her interpreter and have a transcript of the lecture to refer to later.

In addition to relay services, there are several voice-to-text applications that can be installed on PCs, making them effective for lab environments and collaborative student work. Two of the most popular products include Dragon Naturally Speaking - http://www.lhsl.com/naturallyspeaking/  and
Via Voice - http://www-4.ibm.com/software/speech/  and these applications retail between $30.00 and 200.00 depending on the features included in the package.

Web Assisted with Chat, Forums
When a course has a web component, many students benefit from this multimodal information exchange. With a hearing impaired student, the benefit might be even greater, as these methods of communication can allow an increased level of confidence since they are on a more equal footing with their peers. As with any communication method, some people will prefer one over another. In this case, we can anticipate that hearing impaired students may feel more at home in the written/visual realm and less conspicuous if they are verbal or using a sign interpreter. I would recommend that whenever possible and practical Isabel attend a course that has been web enhanced. This will provide her more opportunities to interact with her classmates, especially as she moves into graduate course work.

Many Course Management Systems such as WebCT and BlackBoard include chat and forum features and generally come with a price tag in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the implementation. There are a growing number of open source course management solutions coming available. We are having excellent success with Moodle in my School.  http://moodle.org/

Text Messaging, Phones and Handhelds
Just imagine how text messaging is changing the way deaf people communicate. Phones and handheld devices that can receive text messages are becoming a primary means of mobile communication for the hearing impaired. This trend is growing so rapidly that some companies are offering messaging services with no voice service. One small device call the SideKick is marketed to the deaf community by T-Mobile for on demand communication, web browsing, text messaging.  The SideKick runs about 300.00 to 400.00 for the device and between 15.00 and 30.00 a month for service, depending on which features are purchased. These would be excellent devices for students to use for quick communications to faculty or classmates and could be used effectively with web assisted courses. Some articles which discuss this new trend can be found at: 
http://deafness.about.com/cs/instantandmobile/a/wireless.htm
http://www.tcnj.edu/~technj/2003/testmessaging.htm
http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,65363,00.html
http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,57502,00.html
http://deafness.about.com/cs/instantandmobile/a/wireless.htm

In the specific case of Isabel, much benefit can be provided if there are some instant messaging resources available, either with the instructor or among the students or both. I would suggest that a proposal be composed so that if there are course participants with text messaging devices that are compatible with Isabel’s, that information be shared, as appropriate, to the best advantage of all course participants. I do not feel that there should be a mandated requirement to use this technology, but feel that if it is present and available, it should be leveraged to the advantage of the class.

Captioned Media
In our current world obtaining materials that are captioned should be a simple matter. It is known that in 1993 all TVs were required to be equipped with the ability to display captioned text. It would be a vital inclusion to have any movie or film presented with captions. Also, any video presentation offered over the web should have captioning as an option. Should there be any media presentations, it is appropriate that captioned media be obtained so that Isabel will benefit as fully as possible from the presentation.

Assistive Listening or FM Systems
A teacher wears a microphone and a hearing device is worn by the student. This technology is effective for HH students as it amplifies the voice and allows the HH student to follow course instruction directly. This method might be most effective in environments where the surroundings are not overly noisy: this tool may not work will in wood shop, for example. This is a relatively cost effective tool. Classroom systems can run between $1000.00 and $2000.00 and personal systems between $200.00 and $900.00. These are devices used more commonly in homes and in lower grades. http://www.raisingdeafkids.org/help/tech/ald/

Since Isabel is profoundly deaf, there is no benefit for her from this technology. It is included here as part of a general survey of available technologies to serve deaf and hearing impaired students. 

A note about literacy:
I mentioned that one of my assumptions in this study was that deaf students in a university setting would be literate in English. It is commonly known that hearing students in a university setting are not always proficiently literate. There are some studies which indicate that many deaf students are also well below the norm in literacy, with 50% of 17 and 18 year olds reading below the fourth grade level. We can conclude that many deaf students may not have a strong grasp of written English upon entering college. I am happy to report this is not the case with Isabel. She is reading at grade level and efficiently and accurately comprehends written English. We must be careful, however, since so many of the assistive methods of access for deaf students tied to the written word; it is worrisome when considering the needs of other hearing impaired students. 

I am not sure I have a good solution to address this potential problem, but would suggest that a good place to start would be with a skills assessment. In theory, all students entering the university complete a skill assessment, but this process is critical for hearing impaired students. 
http://sol.gallaudet.edu/ 
http://gri.gallaudet.edu/Literacy/

(A conclusion)
I believe there are sufficient effective methods and technologies to assist deaf and hard of hearing students available today. Each student will require an assessment to determine learning strengths and preferences, however I feel all students with hearing impairments will find solutions to help them learn effectively.

(Goals and Objectives)

Goal 1) Provide sufficient resources for Isabel to successfully attain her undergraduate degree in Computer Science.

Objective 1) Provide Isabel with an ASL interpreter for all of her undergraduate courses.
Objective 2) Provide Isabel with note taking or IP relay services in tandem with an ASL interpreter for courses that prove more challenging for her to follow.
Objective 3) When appropriate, establish a pattern of text message or online chat/forum communication so that all class participants can benefit from peer interactions.

Goal 2) Establish patterns and methods of support so that Isabel is confident enough in her ability to succeed academically, so that she will pursue and can accomplish her goal to obtain a master’s degree in Computer Science.

Objective 1) Begin implementing assistive methods broadly and consistently for the remaining 2 years of Isabel’s undergraduate program, in order to build comfort and confidence in the assistive methods that can be offered in her desired graduate program.
Objective 2) Establish a period in which there will regular assessments of Isabel’s progress in the program and her perception of how well her needs are being met.

(A resource list)

Some sources for assistive equipment, with emphasis on the deaf population:
http://www.wyndtellstore.com/products/index.asp
http://www.harriscomm.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=1141_46_156
http://www.fsdb.k12.fl.us/rmc/training/techtools/netcommunication.html

Deaf Culture:
http://www.deaf.com/ 
http://www.signmedia.com/info/adc.htm
http://www.forhearingpeopleonly.com/hearing/

http://www.pepnet.org/  
Network to provide services to hearing impaired post secondary students

http://www.mcpo.org/pdf/2_22_02ATHandbook.pdf
Assistive technology handbook, describes several types of assistive devices

http://www.rid.org/
Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf

http://www.zak.co.il/deaf-info/old/methods.html
An overview of manual communication methods

http://prc.csun.edu/Content/Downloads.asp
Excellent set of informational downloads

http://www.kennesaw.edu/stu_dev/dsss/Deafinfo.html
Excellent description of common assistive techniques

http://www.netac.rit.edu/publication/taskforce/interpreting/interpreting.html
Description of how interpreters can be used in the classroom in post secondary education

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/Jun2001/ComputersDisabled.html
Article about how handhelds are being used to help disabled students

http://www.kennesaw.edu/stu_dev/dsss/Deafinfo.html
An excellent university disabled services site 

http://www.edtechpost.ca/gems/open_source_cms3.htm
List of various open source course management applications