Many deaf students considering dropping out of University due to lack of support

A recent poll carried out by the National Deaf Children`s Society (NDCS) suggests a lack of support for deaf students at university is driving many to actually consider abandoning their degrees. Martin McLean, the lead policy advisor at the NDCS, has expressed how unacceptable this situation is:

`This is a tragic waste of talent and when you consider how much higher education costs these days, it`s an appalling waste of money.`

A report published by the National Deaf Children`s Society (NDCS) back in 2016 disclosed some dismaying statistics about how deaf children fare in the education system. The publication revealed that 58.9% of deaf students failed to to achieve five good GCSEs, compared with 35.8% of children with no hearing impairment. But what help can deaf children hope to receive in regular state schools? Most pupils will use something called a radio aid - this is a device consisting of a microphone and an earpiece - the microphone will be placed on the teacher`s desk, and the student will be able to pick up what they are saying via a receiver and an earpiece. Though the device is well established and has utility outside the classroom, such as in banks and some cinemas, many students have complained that they feel self conscious about using it. The receiver must be worn on their person at all times, and it is extremely large and bulky - strapped conspicuously to the hip, it is like a permanent statement of being disabled.

Though schools seem to be well equipped with radio aids, it seems that there are many universities that for some reason do not offer this feature. One can imagine that, in a spacious auditorium or lecture hall, there would be even greater need for this technology than in a classroom.

Many students will have access to a network group, where they can go for assistance, and meet with other students who may have a similar disability. These groups will probably only be able to offer limited support though, and all too often it will be up to the individual to overcome any hurdles they may face. Max Barber, a deaf student at the university of Greenwich explained how frustrating it can be:

`The reality is that not everyone understands. But it is vital to make sure you are heard when asking for support – otherwise you miss out on the valuable education you paid for.`

The truth is that it can be hard for deaf students at university to secure any useful assistance at all. A recent poll conducted by the NDCS suggests that as many as half of all deaf students didn`t receive the help package they were promised at the start of their degree, despite having applied for the support many months in advance. Out of this group lacking support many still had to wait an inordinate amount of time for assistance, with nearly 60% waiting more than 2 months for help, and more than a quarter having to endure more than 6 months without any assistance.

Sophia Watkins, a student at Sheffield Hallam University, said she was well into her course before she was assigned the interpreters she had been promised, and had seriously considered dropping out due to the lack of support.

`Without the support I need, I feel depressed, worried, stressed and struggle to follow criteria to achieve high marks,`

Over there the past few years there has been a growing shortage of specialist support workers, meaning deaf students are finding it ever harder to get the assistance they need. The Consortium for Research in Deaf Education (CRIDE) commissioned a report, which was carried out by the NDCS - it revealed a 4% fall in the numbers of qualified teachers of the deaf during the last five years, despite a 2% rise in the number of deaf children in schools.

There is at the moment no clear policy determining who should pay for these support workers - should it be the responsibility of the local council, or should the universities themselves have to pay? With no clear rules in place students are often left in a limbo, having to wait months, or even years, for the help they need. With students paying such a huge amount in University fees - around £9000 a year now - it really is unacceptable that the most basic provisions, such as radio aids to help deaf pupils hear the lectures, often aren`t in place.