Question

Would you classify deafness as a disablilty? Should being deaf be considered a disability in schools? Should we be putting deaf children in special educational programs and treating them as having a developmental/language disorder? What are some things you would suggest to schools to improve how they deal with deaf students in their schools?

Answer 1

Yes. Obviously deafness is classified as a disability. Deafness means loss of hearing capability partially or fully. It can occurs in one or both of the ears. Yes, being deaf is considered as disability in schools. Children with hearing disabilities shall be treated specially. There should be a special education program for deaf students in schools. The following are the things that the school authorities need to do in order to deal with deaf students in the classrooms.

1. Deaf students need full visual access. So the seating arrangements should be done appropriately in order to have full participation of deaf students (Preferably, Seating desks shall be arranged in U shape).

2. Keeping in view that most of the deaf students' primary language may not be English, the school authorities should have provision of interpretation service that will effectively communicate the lesson in their primary language

3. Classroom windows and lightings should not be behind the interpreter or teacher because this makes difficult to see the signs produced by the interpreter or teacher's lesson.

4. Teachers should be flexible enough to respond to the educational concerns of their deaf students

5. While lecturing students, teachers should consistently face their deaf students, never talk when handling out papers, pause before heading into a new subject and give the deaf students applicable time to process the earlier subject's information

6. Special teaching and learning materials for deaf students shall be supplied by the school authority.