Institutional supports and access inequities for deaf college students

Area of Science:

• Higher Education
• Disability Studies
• Sociology of Education

Background:

• Postsecondary environments often provide access via accommodations, not structural inclusion for deaf students.
• Campus climate dimensions include accommodating learning environments (ALE), campus connectedness (CC), and deaf-affirming climate (DAC).
• Understanding deaf students' campus climate experiences is crucial for improving inclusion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate deaf college students' experiences with ALE, CC, and DAC.
• To identify factors influencing campus climate perceptions among deaf students.
• To highlight disparities in campus climate based on identity and support systems.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 193 deaf students at broad-access U.S. institutions.
• Descriptive, inferential, and exploratory modeling analyses were employed.
• Campus climate dimensions (ALE, CC, DAC) were assessed.

Main Results:

• Accommodating learning environments (ALE) were rated higher than campus connectedness (CC) or deaf-affirming climate (DAC).
• Deaf-affirming climate (DAC) was the lowest-rated dimension, indicating gaps in meaningful inclusion.
• Nonbinary and transgender students reported lower campus climate ratings than cisgender peers.

Conclusions:

• Persistent gaps exist between compliance-based access and genuine inclusion for deaf students.
• Dedicated deaf-specific supports (tutors, advisors) are key predictors of positive campus climate.
• Institutions must adopt proactive, relational, and culturally responsive practices to foster belonging and identity for deaf students.