Evaluation Tool for Serving Deaf Students
Creating access for deaf students doesn’t start with a service request—it starts with your campus. While we often talk about “college readiness” for students, it’s just as important to ask: Is our institution ready to support deaf students effectively? Deaf students bring skills, experiences, and goals—but institutions must have the right structures, people, and practices in place to support them. This self-assessment tool is here to help you take the first step in that direction.
What Makes This Important?
This tool encourages you to flip the script: look inward, not outward. Examine your processes, policies, relationships, and assumptions. It’s a chance to grow your department’s capacity, build confidence, and make intentional improvements that matter.
What You’ll Gain
Benefits of this tool: This tool offers a proactive way to reflect on your current practices and prepare your campus to support deaf students more effectively. By identifying strengths and gaps early on, you can help create an environment where deaf students are welcomed, supported, and able to thrive. Using this tool can help your team:
- Understand how your current services align with best practices
- Uncover opportunities for growth or improvement
- Encourage collaboration and dialogue across departments
- Center deaf student voices in shaping access
- Start or strengthen your long-term planning for access and belonging
You’ll also find space to reflect, take notes, and prioritize next steps—whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve what’s already in place.
Key Terminology
- Assistive listening systems: Loop system, infrared, Roger Pen, FM/DM system
- Interpreters: Sign language, oral, cued speech, tactile, pro-tactile
- Speech-to-text services: Computer access realtime translation (CART), C-Print, TypeWell
- American Sign Language: Abbreviated “ASL”
- Remote services: When interpreters and speech-to-text professionals are not on location and provide services remotely via an internet connection
Start Small. Grow Over Time.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Small changes—like updating a policy, checking in with a student, or improving communication with faculty—can make a big difference. This self-assessment tool is here to help your team take a closer look at how well your campus supports access and belonging for deaf students. We recommend revisiting this tool each year, involving deaf students in the process, and tracking your team’s growth. Use it as a guide, a conversation starter, and a commitment to building a more welcoming campus for all.
Ready to begin? Explore the tool and start evaluating your campus readiness today!
Use the interactive tool below to enter your information and create a personalized PDF that you can download or print.
Your responses are not saved online—your information stays private and secure in the PDF you download.
Prefer a blank version? You can download the template here.
If you’d like help interpreting your results or strengthening areas of need, reach out to NDC for personalized guidance at help@nationaldeafcenter.org. We’re here to support you!
Evaluation Tool for Serving Deaf Students
Context: This tool evaluates the Disability Services office on campus, assessing how various departments support deaf and hard-of-hearing students.