Understanding STEM Instructors’ Experiences with and Perceptions of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students: The First Step toward Increasing Access and Inclusivity

Abstract

Individuals with differing abilities have long been underrepresented in STEM fields. A continued challenge to inclusion is appropriate access as well as accommodations and a general lack of universal design in university, classroom, and laboratory spaces. Instructors play a crucial role in the long-term retention and success of students with differing abilities, including students from the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) community. Given their direct impact on D/HH students' ability to succeed and receive a postsecondary degree, the goal of this study was to capture the experiences of STEM instructors at one public midwestern university and their understanding of the resources available to them. Through an anonymous survey, we collected data on STEM instructors' experiences with and understanding of teaching and interacting with D/HH students. The findings of this study support the claim that instructors are not aware of the needs of D/HH students, have limited experience with the D/HH community, feel unsupported in meeting the needs of D/ HH students, and do not have or know how to access adequate resources to best support their D/HH students. The first steps to invoke change are assessing the situation, creating awareness, and educating others. The long-term goals of this work are to build confident communities of educated advocates in STEM academia who are equipped with the knowledge and resources to best support their D/HH students.

The Future of Laboratory Chemistry Learning and Teaching Must be Accessible

“…For example, with respect to neurodivergence, Flaherty highlighted that little consideration in chemistry education research and practice has been given to the impact of sensory overload experienced by many students and instructors in chemistry laboratories: “there seems to be little acknowledgment of just how difficult it can be for some to be in a room that is so noisy, bright, odorous and surrounded by hazards, risks, chemicals, glassware, electricity, gas, naked flames, eyewashes, body showers, fume hoods—the list goes on.” 32 In the laboratory, sensory overload can be caused by sensory inputs with little or no informational content, 33 such as noisy equipment, vibrations, bright and flickering lights, and chemical smells. Moving beyond sensory overload, Long and Kowalske reported that chemistry instructors “are not aware of the needs of D/HH [Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing] students, have limited experience with the D/HH community, feel unsupported in meeting the needs of D/HH students, and do not have or know how to access adequate resources to best support their D/HH students.” 34 In terms of physical disability, our focus group participants spoke about how narrow or cluttered hallways and doors that were not automated made it more challenging for them to move around safely if they were using walking aids or wheelchairs. They came up with a number of recommendations we added to our list (see below), including allowing space for legs underneath benches or below fume hoods so people can work sitting on a stool or from a wheelchair, and having plug sockets that are accessible and not at the back of a deep bench.…”

Flipping the Thinking on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Why EDI Is Essential for the Development and Progression of the Chemical Sciences: A Case Study Approach

“…The chemical laboratory is an important component of any degree but is typically not inclusive and accessible . Physical impairments such as hearing loss and visual impairment − are challenging, but solutions can be envisaged and enacted; however, more subtle challenges such as neurodiversity are far more difficult to identify and resolve. It is noted that the laboratory is an environment that can overload the senses for both learner and instructor .…”