Deaf students who use American Sign Language and their academic and social experiences in mainstream college settings

Abstract

Since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the number of colleges/universities offering access and support services has increased and, concurrently, the enrollment of deaf students in mainstream postsecondary institutions has increased dramatically. Yet, in 1999, 75% of all deaf students in higher education had withdrawn from college without a degree even with the provision of access and support services. The literature reveals that deaf students experience different barriers even with interpreting services during their academic and social interactions in mainstream college settings. Through the lens of Vincent Tinto's theory of student departure, Deaf students' longitudinal processes of academic and social interactions within their postsecondary institutions were examined. A qualitative study was conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of five Deaf students, with their participation in all academic and social interactions while working with American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at a mainstream college. After interviews, data showed that the participants experienced barriers as a result of their ASL interpreters' language and cultural competencies and professionalism, the office of interpreting services' approaches and practices, and linguistic/cultural conflicts. Recommendations are provided for the problem of practice and future research.