How Ready are Postsecondary Institutions for Students who are d/Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing - Volume 22 Number 13 - March 3rd, 2014

Oct 15, 2026

Educational policy in the United States increasingly emphasizes academic readiness for postsecondary experiences, yet often prioritizes individuals’ traits and competencies over how institutions can support them. This article examines college readiness through students who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH), framing readiness as overlapping continuums for both people and institutions. It reviews research across academic preparation, language and communication, and soft skills, then addresses institutional accommodations, communication modes, disclosure rates, and accessibility. It concludes with directions for further investigation and broader dialogue on readiness and postsecondary education.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

How Ready are Postsecondary Institutions for Students who are d/Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing?

College readiness as overlapping continuums for individuals and institutions

Research on DHH readiness across academic, language, communication, and soft skills

Institutional considerations: accommodations, communication, disclosure, and accessibility

Future investigation and expansion of the readiness dialogue

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal |

epaa

aape | | --- | --- | | | Arizona State University | | Volume 22 Number 13 March 3rd, 2014 ISSN 1068-2341 | | How Ready are Postsecondary Institutions for Students who are d/Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing? Stephanie W. Cawthon Sarah J. Schoffstall Carrie Lou Garberoglio The University of Texas at Austin & Pepnet2 USA Citation: Cawthon, S. W., Schoffstall, S. J., Garberoglio, C. L. (2014) How Ready are Institutions for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing? Education Policy Analysis Archives, 22 (13) . [http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v22n13.2014](http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v22n13.2014) . Abstract: Educational policy in the United States is increasingly focused on the need for individuals to be academically ready for postsecondary education experiences. The focus of these initiatives, however, centers primarily on individuals and their competencies and characteristics, and not on the capacities of postsecondary institutions to serve them. This article uses the lens of students who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) to explore ways in which college readiness can be conceptualized as overlapping continuums of preparedness for both individuals and institutions. The article first summarizes research on students who are DHH and their readiness across core domains of academic preparation, language and communication, and soft skills. The article then discusses considerations at the institutional level such as accommodations, direct vs. mediated communication, student disclosure rates, and their level of accessibility for students who have a different academic, linguistic, and cultural experience than most institutional infrastructure is designed to serve. We conclude with considerations for future investigation and an expansion of the dialog around readiness and postsecondary education. Keywords: deaf, college readiness, postsecondary, transition Journal website: [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ ](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript)[ Manuscript](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript) received: 1/19/2013 Facebook: /EPAAA Revisions received: 7/10/2013 Twitter: @epaa_aape Accepted: 11/11/2013 Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 22 No. 13 2 ¿Cuan preparadas están las instituciones de educación superior para estudiantes sordos o con problemas de audición? Resumen: La política educativa en los Estados Unidos se centra cada vez más en la necesidad de que los individuos esten académicamente preparados para experiencias de educación postsecundaria. El enfoque de estas iniciativas , sin embargo, se centra principalmente en las personas y sus competencias y características, y no en las capacidades de las instituciones de educación superior para servirles. Este artículo utiliza la lente de estudiantes que son sordos o con problemas de audición (DHH) para explorar las formas en que la preparación universitaria se puede conceptualizarcomo una continuación de preparación donde se superponen tanto los individuos como lasinstituciones. El artículo resume primero investigación sobre los estudiantes que son DHH y su disposición a través de dominios básicos de la preparación académica, el lenguaje y la comunicación, y habilidades sociales Luego, el artículo analiza las consideraciones a nivel institucional, tales como alojamiento , comunicación directa mediado mediada, las tasas de información sobre las capacidades de los estudiante, y su nivel de accesibilidad para los estudiantes que tienen una experiencia académica, lingüística y cultural diferente a la de la mayoría de los estudiantes a los cuales la infraestructura institucional está diseñada para servir. Se concluye con consideraciones para futuras investigaciones y una expansión sobre el debate en torno a la preparación y la educación postsecundaria. Palabras clave: sordera; preparación universitaria; estudio

FAQs

What does the article examine regarding college readiness?

It explores college readiness through students who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH), viewing readiness as overlapping continuums for both individuals and postsecondary institutions.

Which domains are used to summarize research on DHH students’ readiness?

The article summarizes readiness across core domains including academic preparation, language and communication, and soft skills.

What institutional factors does the article discuss?

It considers accommodations, direct versus mediated communication, student disclosure rates, and the level of accessibility for students with academic, linguistic, and cultural experiences different from what most infrastructure is designed to serve.

Oct 15, 2026

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