Learning to listen: the voices of post-secondary deaf and hard of hearing learners

• Author / Creator

  Martin, Deena

• This study examined the experiences of Canadian postsecondary learners who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing and have received services from the campus accessibility office. Data collected from interviews with nine learners were analyzed using a constructivist grounded-theory approach, thus allowing the basic social process (BSP) to emerge. I called this process negotiating communication access in postsecondary education. It consisted of three key supporting processes: (a) advocating for self, (b) navigating the learning environment, and (c) building relationships. The research outcomes achieved in this study include (a) a documented analysis and synthesis of the perceptions of Deaf and hard-of-hearing students specific to the theoretical and practical issues involved in accessing communication support services in postsecondary institutions and (b) a theoretical model that depicts the above synthesis. Last, the discussion chapter contains recommendations for increasing accessibility to postsecondary institutions for learners who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Higher Education
  • Post-secondary
  • Hard of Hearing
  • Deaf
  • Campus accessibility

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3713H

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.