Role of Educational Services in Promoting Inclusive Higher Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Abstract

A way to safeguard university students’ educational rights is through inclusive higher education. It allows deaf and hard of hearing students (DHH) to effectively access and gain from their education. To facilitate academic success, inclusive programs must provide DHH students with diverse educational services that ensure proper access to information in lectures. This chapter discusses the role of educational services in the inclusive higher education of DHH students. These services are an integral part for the academic success of these students in higher education. The following are some of the educational services for DHH students that will be covered in the chapter: modified classroom delivery, presence of coordinators, and note-taking services, as well as the teaching experience as important elements that will influence the development of inclusive higher education for DHH students. The aim of this chapter is to describe the role of educational services for DHH students in promoting inclusive higher education through an analysis of previous research, as well as an overview of the key issues regarding these services. It also compares the roles of these services in various universities around the world. This chapter also considers the challenges of providing and using these services as a component of a comprehensive strategy for the academic integration of DHH students.