Supporting Students with Hearing Impairment | UKMC Reasonable Adjustments

How should lecturers support students with hearing impairment in higher education? This UKMC Reasonable Adjustments Staff Training video explains practical ways to create accessible teaching, communication, group work, presentations and assessments for students who are deaf, hard of hearing or have another form of hearing impairment. Lecturers should face students while speaking, avoid talking while facing a screen, repeat questions before answering, provide important instructions in writing and manage classroom discussions using a one-speaker-at-a-time approach. All video and audio learning materials should include accurate captions. Why are captions and written instructions important? Students may miss information communicated only verbally, particularly in noisy or echoing environments. Hearing aids and assistive devices may amplify background noise as well as speech. Written instructions, suitable seating, clear sightlines, accurate captions and accessible classroom communication can help remove these learning barriers. What reasonable adjustments may support a student with hearing impairment? Depending on the student’s individual needs, supporting information and the relevant partner university’s regulations, approved arrangements may include assistive listening technology, written examination instructions, communication support, captioned learning materials and accessible presentation arrangements. Staff must not promise or introduce assessment adjustments independently. Who coordinates learning support at UKMC? The student’s Personal Academic Tutor, the UKMC Wellbeing Team, Faculty Support, Course Director, Module Leaders and teaching staff work together through the approved support process. Information must be treated sensitively and shared only with colleagues who need it to arrange or provide the agreed support. This training is relevant to lecturers, Module Leaders, Course Directors, Personal Academic Tutors, assessment staff and colleagues responsible for inclusive teaching and reasonable adjustments in higher education. Please read the UKMC Learning Support and Reasonable Adjustment Handbook and follow the approved UKMC and partner-university procedures. Prepared by Dr Naeem Dean, UK Management College #HearingImpairment #ReasonableAdjustments #InclusiveEducation #StaffTraining #UKMC