Accommodations Quality for Students Who Are D/Deaf or Hard of Hearing - Research and Evidence Synthesis

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

Instructional and assessment accommodations are examined for students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, emphasizing how accommodations increase access to classroom instruction and testing content. The study reports results from a large national investigation across secondary and postsecondary settings, focusing on access, quality, and consistency. Data gathered through a national survey and focus groups over one year involve 1,350 professionals, including educators, administrators, interpreters, and allied service providers. Findings are discussed in relation to transitions into education, training, and employment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Accommodations Quality for Students Who Are D/Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Purpose and Accommodation Use

Study Design, Participants, and Data Collection

Accommodation Categories and Communication Access

Instructional vs Testing Accommodations

18504-AAD158.4_Fall2013 11/6/13 12:44 PM Page 438 | Cawthon, S. W. , Leppo, R. , & pepnet 2 Research and Evidence Synthesis Team. (2013) . Accommodations Quality for Students Who Are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing. American Annals of the Deaf, 158(4), xxx–xxx.
ACCOMMODATIONS QUALITY FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE D/DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING
TU DENTS WHO are d/Deaf or hard of hearing often receive accommodations that are intended to increase access to the educational environment. The authors provide the results of a large national study of accommodations use in secondary and postsecondary settings. The article focuses on three aspects of accommodations use: access, quality, and consistency. The participants were 1,350 professionals working with a diverse group of students who were d/Deaf or hard of hearing in a variety of roles, including educators, administrators, interpreters, vocational rehabilitation agency staff, and allied service providers. Data were collected from both a national survey and a series of focus groups conducted over a 1-year period. The authors discuss the results in light of the crucial nature of accommodations during the transition into a variety of educational, training, and employment options. | | | | --- | --- | --- | | STEPHANIE W. CAWTHON, RACHEL LEPPO, AND THE PEPNET 2 RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS TEAM
CAWTHON AND LEPPO ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN. CAWTHON ISAN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND LEPPO IS A GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT. CAWTHON IS ALSO AN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PEPNET 2 (WWW. PEPNET.ORG) . THE PEPNET 2 RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS TEAM IS A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION WHO SERVE THE PEPNET 2 PROJECT.
438 | Keywords: accommodations,
transition, secondary, postsecondary
The purpose of instructional and assessment accommodations is to provide students with disabilities access to classroom instruction and testing content (Christensen, Braam, Scullin, & Thurlow, 2011) . A variety of factors influence students ’ use of particular accommodations, including state policy, educational setting, teacher perspectives, and student characteristics (Cawthon, Ho, Patel, Potvin, & Trundt, 2009) . Students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing often receive accommodations that are unique to their communication characteristics, such as the availability of a sign language inter- | preter or captioning in the classroom. However, these students also receive accommodations used by other student groups, such as extended time for assignments or test administration in a separate setting (Cawthon & Online Research Lab, 2006) . In residential settings, accommodations may also include such features as a visual signaling device in a dorm room or interpreters for extracurricular activities (Cawthon, Nichols, & Collier, 2009) .
Accommodations are often separated into two categories: those used in classroom instruction and those implemented during testing and assessment (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on | S VOLUME 158, NO. 4, 2013 AMERICAN ANNALS OF THE DEAF 18504-AAD158.4_Fall2013 11/6/13 12:44 PM Page 439 | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Measurement in Education, 1999) . | language of instruction. If a student | Berman, 2008) . For example, large- | | Instructional accommodations are | receives instructional content in ASL, | scale use of broadband Internet makes | | meant to increase access to classroom | this may place that student at a dis- | it possible to reliably use video remote | | activities, and for students who are | advantage if the tests of academic | interpreting in ways that would not | | d/Deaf or hard of hearing who use sign | achievement are then conducted in | have been possible even 10 years ago. | | language, may include the use of a sign | written English. Conversely, if the stu- | Advances in real-t

FAQs

What does the study focus on regarding accommodations use?

The study examines accommodations use through three aspects: access, quality, and consistency in secondary and postsecondary settings.

How was data collected and who participated?

Researchers used a national survey and focus groups conducted over one year, with 1,350 professionals working with d/Deaf or hard of hearing students.

What kinds of accommodations are discussed for students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing?

The text describes accommodations tailored to communication needs (e.g., sign language interpreting or captioning) as well as broader supports used by other student groups (e.g., extended time or separate testing settings).

Why are transitions into education, training, and employment considered important in the article?

The results are discussed in light of how crucial accommodations are when students move into varied educational, training, and employment options.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley