Student affairs professionals know belonging is built through relationships — in residence halls, orientation, student organizations, advising, wellness, career services, and everyday campus life.
Your deaf students are ready for those connections. The question is whether your team has the deaf-specific tools to make belonging accessible.
Interpreters matter, but access does not stop there.
Belonging breaks down in ordinary moments, across every corner of campus life:
IN THE RESIDENCE HALL
A Resident Director or Resident Advisor may not know how to connect with a deaf student in their hall.
IN STUDENT LIFE
Campus Life may not know how to include them in real conversation.
IN CAREER SERVICES
Staff may not know how to prepare for accessible networking or interviews.
It is not because your team does not care. It is because most teams have not been given deaf-specific tools.
Start With Five Free Online Courses
These five free online courses give your team the competency to actually build these relationships.
Your staff and student leaders who take these modules can better understand how to create spaces where deaf students genuinely connect, and where they’re part of the community, not an accommodation to manage.
Deaf 101
Attitudes as Barriers for Deaf People
Discovering System Barriers & Exploring the WHY
Building Relationships with Deaf Communities
Accommodations 101
Put Belonging Into Practice
The National Deaf Center’s DSS portal has templates and resources your team can actually use:
Campus Accessibility Guide
Strengthen how your departments collaborate on creating access.
Evaluation Tool
See where your office is already doing well and where you can improve.
Accommodations Meeting Template
Structure conversations with deaf students about what matters to them.
Specialty Certificate in Accessibility Practices
For staff who want to go deeper and support access more confidently.
Your deaf students are on campus and ready to belong. Build the infrastructure to let them.
