Users who have difficulty hearing
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Users who have difficulty hearing are often under-served in education (and society in general) because it is easy to assume that the only adjustment they need is to have everything in text format. In reality, many d/Deaf users are working in a second language and often share many of the characteristics of dyslexic people.
The type of technologies that support these users vary from mainstream technologies (such as learning platforms that allow independent access to a wide range of media rich resources) through to the creative use of mobile phones and text messaging.
Sharing many of the characteristics of people with literacy difficulties, people with hearing difficulties often benefit from simple adaptations to everyday resources, as well as the creative use of images, video and even audio. At least podcasts provide an opportunity to control the volume at the user's discretion.
JISC Techdis resources include:
- Guidance for users on simple ways of adapting existing software;
- Guidance for tutors on understanding and responding to the educational implications of hearing difficulties;
- Signposts to free and Open Source software tools;
- Policy implications of effective reasonable adjustments.
