Speech perception and deaf and hard of hearing children in the classroom: A multidisciplinary effort in the United States to bring data and standards to architects, school districts, and into building codes

Abstract

This presentation will discuss efforts by a multidisciplinary team to overcome the notable lack of progress in the United States in acoustic accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing children in the classroom. Data collected through research efforts by members of this team, and by others, demonstrate the benefits of appropriate acoustics for all children and especially those deaf and hard of hearing. These efforts have resulted in a voluntary standard in classroom acoustics specifically for deaf and hard of hearing children by the American National Standards Institute. This standard, however, is not reaching built classrooms. This team representing the fields of acoustics, architecture and audiology is using speech perception data and new computer simulations to increase awareness of the need for classroom acoustic standards in building codes to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing children.