Guide to Higher Education
College is a place to discover new passions, meet new friends, and find yourself along the way! There are many questions to consider as your begin your college search and selection process, which is why we have created this guide with quick tips, advice from students like you who are deaf and hard of hearing, and AG Bell resources to help you thrive in college.
Before you start researching schools, you should…
- Make sure you are familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act and your rights as a person who is deaf or hard of hearing.
- Understand how to receive resources from Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Keep in mind that Vocational Rehabilitation Services may vary by state!
- Have an idea of what equipment you will need to thrive in school. A few options to consider are:
- Captioning Services
- FM/RM System for Hearing Aids
- FM System for Cochlear Implants
- Cochlear America & Mini Microphone
- A vibrating bed shaker and/or vibrating pillow shaker
- A smart watch for reminders, messages, and alarms
- Strobe light for fire alarm or doorbell
While you’re researching schools, you should…
- Ask yourself if you would be more comfortable at a large university or a small college. The most important thing to consider is if the environment is right for you.
- Get in touch with the college’s Disabilities Office to ask about the services they provide for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. A few services to consider are:
- Notetakers and other assistive services
- CART
- Preferential seating
- Extended test time
- Extended lab time
- Telecoil or Room loop
Once you’ve committed to a school, you should…
- Keep in touch with the Disabilities Office throughout your entire college experience. They will be able to support you if you come across any challenges.
- Stay involved and find student organizations that align with your interests.
- Advocate for yourself in class and on campus. You are in charge of your education and college experience.
- Connect with AG Bell for additional resources, support, internship opportunities, and more! We are always here for you.
- Be confident! You are going to do great.
If you need financial aid…
- We encourage you to take a look at scholarships offered throughout the United States.
- Be sure to check out online databases such as Fastweb and Peterson’s.
If you are looking for internship opportunities…
- We recommend getting in touch with your college’s Career Center and/or Disabilities Office. Not only will they be able to connect you with interesting organizations, but they will also be able to help you perfect your resume and ace interview questions.
- And don’t forget about AG Bell! We have internship opportunities for college students and post-grads.
Quick Tips from College Students Like You!
On self-advocating:
“I was in a classroom that didn’t have air conditioning, so they had these huge fans on to try to circulate the air. I couldn’t hear anything over the noise, so I talked to the professor and asked her to wear my assistive technology. The next week, we moved to a different classroom in a newer building that had air conditioning. I was impressed by her effort, and it all happened just because we talked. So remember to be an advocate! You might be surprised what people will do if you are honest about your hearing loss.” – Anna
On roommates and RAs:
“If you are living on campus, it’s important to tell your RA and the people in housing that you have hearing loss. There are assistive devices to help with alarms, but I still slept through a fire alarm once. Thankfully it was just a drill, but I think it’s important to let people know just in case a real emergency happens.” – Jasmine
On small colleges:
“I attended a smaller school. Everyone was very kind, but there weren’t many students who had hearing loss. In fact, I think I was the first student to ever give a microphone to my professors, so most of them didn’t know how it worked with hearing aids. The best part of going to a small school though was that I had the opportunity to talk directly to a lot of the teachers and students. I think I was good for the school too, because when I went to the Academic Enrichment Center, they had never heard about the Roger Pen. But they were willing to listen, which I think says a lot.” – Abbey
On large universities:
“One thing I thought about a lot when I was looking at schools was if I would be the first deaf student those professors had met, or if I would be the first deaf student to go through this program. It seemed like that was the case at the smaller schools. For me, the appeal of a larger university was that they were much more experienced and knowledgeable about working with students with hearing loss. They had seen people like me come through the gates before.” – James
On mindset shifts:
“One thing I realized quickly was that passing off my microphone to the professors before class was a great way to differentiate myself from other students. I often used it as a way to make small talk and I noticed that in larger classes I would get called on to answer questions just because they knew my name. It also benefited me in getting mentors and letters of recommendation, so don’t view it as an ordeal that you have to go through—it’s an opportunity.” – John
On being transparent:
“In my experience, it’s important to be clear about your needs with friends, such as being able to read their lips or being able to follow conversations. I let my friends know that I needed captions for movies. After I told them that, I noticed them speaking up and asking people to put captions on movies. It’s nice to see that kind of thoughtfulness from others.” – James
On educating others:
“As a student with hearing loss in an audiology program, I thought that everybody would be accommodating. It was just a lesson learned that even the people you would think would be understanding are not always, and I still had to educate them on my rights and what it’s actually like to have hearing loss.” -Brittany
On disability services:
“As far as services go, CART helped me feel confident in my ability to follow and understand my classes. CART was really great at filling in gaps that I didn’t know existed until I read the transcript. My school also gave me access to this portal where I could request captioning for my classes, specify what type of captioning I wanted, and whether I wanted it to be someone in person or remote. I could also request captioning for university events and club meetings that I wanted to attend. I had a really great experience with our Disabilities Office and the services they offered.” -John
