This guide will help deaf students understand their rights, options for effective accommodations, and considerations for accessibility across different settings.
Students shared their experiences advocating for accommodations and more in this live panel in June 2021.
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-advocacy is the ability to articulate one’s needs and make informed decisions about the support necessary to meet those needs. Self-advocacy is an important skill to express what you need in school, the workplace and the community. Effective self-advocacy involves four important parts:
- Knowledge of self
- Knowledge of rights
- Communication skills
- Leadership skills
Strong self-advocacy skills help you get what you need and have control over your accommodations.
[Image description: A dark teal background with an illustrated lighter teal person standing in the middle, holding a fist up. At the top, a white speech bubble with teal letters: Self Advocacy. Around the person are stylized white text on a dark teal background: is the ability to articulate one’s needs & make informed decisions about the support necessary to meet those needs. At the bottom, a courtroom icon with text: Knowledge of rights. An icon of three heads: Leadership skills. An icon of a diamond: Knowledge of Self. An icon of speech bubbles: Communication skills.]
There are three components of self-determination: decide, act, and believe.
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Take Control of Your Online Learning
Whether your classes are in-person or online, colleges and universities are required to make the learning environment accessible. Review the following tips for how to advocate for access in online learning: Higher education institutions are still required to make online spaces accessible for deaf students. Learn more to better advocate for access in online learning
- 7 Tips for College Students to Take Control of Online Learning
- Using Hearing Assistive Devices at Home: 5 Tips for Deaf College Students
- What can I do when my video is slow, fuzzy or loses its connection?
- How can I connect my hearing aid or implant to access my online courses at home?
- What are some strategies when working with remote interpreters or speech-to-text providers?
- Auto Captions and Deaf Students: Why Automatic Speech Recognition Technology Is Not the Answer (Yet)
- Know Your Education Rights as College Student During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Be Prepared for Different Situations
Different situations may require some innovative strategies and trying different accommodations. Research what is coming next and work on a plan!
- What if face masks are required?
- I want to go into the medical field. What should I expect if I have an internship?
- My service providers are “remote”. What does this mean?
- Who provides the fire alarm in my dorm room?
- I want to attend events on my campus. Can I request accommodations?
- I’m enrolling in a foreign language course. How do I start a conversation with my teacher about my accommodations?
STAY CONNECTED WITH NDC
- Start with our COVID-19 Information page and FAQs for more resources and information.
- NDC | Help Team can answer questions, provide resources, connect people, and more.
- Subscribe to the newsletter and listserv to keep current and connect with peers.
DIG DEEPER
Check out our online learning library for free, online professional development.
- Learn the basics: Foundations of Effective Accommodations.
- Take a broader look: Improving Campus Access.