The National Deaf Center (NDC) has some exciting news! We just released a new report called “Supporting Deaf College Students: Perspectives from Disability Services Professionals (2023-2024).” This report updates the last one from 2022, with fresh data collected between April 2023 and May 2024. We asked detailed questions to Disability Services Professionals about the support deaf students receive in college and added new questions about how these services connect with students’ identities. Let’s dive into some key findings!
Technology is Helping to Expand Deaf Services
Thanks to new technology and artificial intelligence (AI), colleges are finding more ways to support deaf students. But it’s not clear yet how well these remote and AI options are working for them. For example, remote speech-to-text and interpreting services are used more frequently in place of in-person services. Disability services professionals’ reported that less than 50% of speech-to-text services are provided in person, and most institutions have at least one course that is being interpreted remotely.
AI is also being used more for things like captioned media and note-taking. While AI can provide students with more autonomy, flexibility, and control, it may not meet effective communication standards. For instance, auto-captions often have mistakes and don’t always meet the standards needed for full accessibility (and thus is not considered best practice). So, while AI can help, it’s important to use it carefully and to exercise caution when utilizing this tool in disability services.
Focusing on Equity and Access
Being deaf is only one facet of student identities – in fact, recognizing and honoring multiple identities has an impact on engagement and outcomes. However, not all disability services professionals feel confident in supporting multiple identities. Only 60% of the professionals surveyed rated their ability to consider students’ cultures and identities as good or excellent. Yet, these ratings were higher in colleges with staff dedicated to helping deaf students. Staff who receive training are better prepared to serve deaf students.
Feedback, We Need More!
Getting feedback from deaf students is essential as a component in improving services and systems for deaf students. However, many colleges do not have effective systems to gather this feedback. Only about 40% of colleges rated their ability to collect feedback as good or excellent. But the good news is that of colleges who collect feedback, 63% are confident in using that feedback to improve services. Gathering feedback is often an after thought, but it is important data that can inform support for deaf students. How will you gather feedback this school year? Share your ideas with us on our Community Forum and join the conversation about this topic!
NDC’s Recommendations
Based on the findings, NDC makes the following recommendations (more detailed recommendations are available in the report):
- Consider strategies to increase institutional capacity to provide dedicated support services for deaf students and consistently meet requests.
- Pursue continuing education and professional development opportunities to raise awareness, boost knowledge, and maintain current and effective implementation practices.
- Bolster institutional infrastructure to ensure effective delivery of remote services, including technical support and direct support to students and faculty.
- Use AI cautiously and only as a supplement to appropriate accommodations. Integrate multiple checks and balances by getting student feedback and assessing the quality of end products.
- Implement iterative opportunities to collect student input and data to gain a holistic view of their accommodation and access experiences on campus.
- Foster a culture of belonging across campus where deaf students feel seen and welcomed
