Educational Service Guidelines for the Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Standard 33: Deaf/Hard of Hearing Adults and Community Involvement

Standard 33: Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Adults and Community Involvement

The deaf and hard-of-hearing communities are involved in program development and service development and encourage strong collaboration between school staff, families, and deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.

Three deaf adults in a classroom signing to each other.

Community involvement provides integral support for students. Deaf and hard-of-hearing community members can assist with the education and development of social-emotional needs of students who are D/HH by helping to design and implement a Deaf culture curriculum with the support of Teacher of Deaf and/or Deaf community center by providing role models who are deaf/hard of hearing, creating career/vocational opportunities for students, and by providing personnel who are proficient in using the appropriate language; spoken language or sign language. Businesses or agencies that employ or serve individuals who are deaf/ hard of hearing can form partnerships with the schools or programs. The after school programming such as sports, students clubs, community agencies and transition activities can support the student's IEP learning goals to foster the student's social/emotional and transition skills.

Opportunities for families are provided so that they may become involved in the Deaf community. Meaningful participation by adults who are deaf and hard of hearing may include, but is not limited to:

  • Participating in the family education program
  • Deaf mentorship
  • Teaching sign language classes
  • Presenting to family groups on Deaf issues
  • Explaining Deaf culture
  • Working with schools, Deaf community centers and families to plan special community events for students who are D/HH

90% of Students who are D/HH are born to hearing parents (Mitchell RE, Karchmer MA, 2004) and many may not have the opportunity to meet another person who is deaf/hard of hearing without purposeful planning to provide that experience. It is important for children to have that access and one option can be with a deaf mentor who is a trained role model who can relate to a child's experiences growing up with hearing loss. They can share their own personal experiences with students and families.

Community Centers for the Deaf (CCD) can provide transition support, deaf role models and community connections for the students who are D/HH. For over 30 years, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) has partnered with community entities to provide support and communication services to deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind individuals, as well as their families and communities. OOD supports partners around the state so that individuals with hearing loss, potential employers, and communities have information to allow individuals with hearing loss to fully integrate into employment and other activities.

These Center provide the following services depending on their location:

  • Independent Living Skills Training;
  • Peer Support;
  • Advocacy;
  • Interpreting/Communication Services;
  • Walk-in office hours;
  • Public videophone access;
  • Special Project for Ohio’s Teenagers;
  • Secondary transition support;
  • Youth programming;
  • Employment programming;
  • Early Intervention Services; and
  • Sign language classes.