Supporting d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in a School of Nursing: Lessons Learned

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a United States federal law, states that colleges and universities that receive federal and financial aid must make accommodations for students with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines disability as a mental or physical impairment that significantly limits one or more major life activities (include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, breathing, working, and caring for oneself). Disabilities can be multifarious; barriers to complete access can be physical, architectural, or attitudinal. Approximately 19% of U.S. college students have hearing loss. The types of accommodation provided by nursing programs for students who are d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) vary based on the level of hearing loss, but often include notetakers, assistive devices such as amplified stethoscopes, transcripts and closed-captioned recording of classes, and interpreters. Providing resources is mandated; however, it is the way in which students are supported that provides a sense of inclusion and belonging that supports the academic success of students who are DHH. This article describes resources identified to support DHH students in an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.