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

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.