3. Statistics
National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD)
2 to 3 out of ever 1,000 children in the United States are born with a
detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears
Gallaudet Research Institute (GRI)
37,828 children nationwide (newborn to age 18) were reported as
receiving educational services related to their hearing impairment
Of these, 2,415 (6.5% of the reported population) were aged three to
five years (typical preschool age)
Numbers by no means exhaustive, but do give a framework
738,000 individuals living with severe to profound
hearing loss in the United States
Of those, almost 8% are under the age of 18 – 60,000 children and
young adults
4. THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
WORLD IS FILLED WITH UNFAMILIAR
VOCABULARY—IT IS IMPORTANT TO
HAVE A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING
OF VOCABULARY ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS POPULATION AND BE UP TO
DATE ON CURRENT TERMINOLOGY
Vocabulary & Terminology
5. Types of Hearing Loss
Conductive
Hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently
through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones
of the middle ear
Sensorineural
There is damage to the inner ear or to the nerve pathways from
the inner ear to the brain
Mixed
Combination of conductive and sensorineural
6. Levels of Hearing Loss
Mild: Soft noises not heard;
understanding speech in loud
environment difficult
Moderate: Soft and moderately loud
noises not heard; understanding
speech becomes very difficult w/
background noise
Severe: Convos have to be conducted
loudly; group conversations possible
with much effort
Profound: Some very loud noises
heard; w/out hearing aid,
communication no longer possible
even w/ great effort
7. Sound Broken Down
Human speech
consists of vowels
and consonants at
different loudness
and frequency
levels. They are
recorded on the
audiogram as a
so-called ‘speech
banana.’ It is an
easy way to check
whether the
entire spectrum
of speech is still
audible and how
a person’s
hearing changes
with time
8. Term Definition
1. Deaf
2. deaf
3. Hard of Hearing
1. Refers to members of
the Deaf culture or
Deaf world, or people
with Deaf identity
2. Refers to those who
have the audiological
condition of not
hearing
3. Can denote a person
with mild-to-moderate
hearing loss
Terminology
9. Deaf Culture
Deaf people as a linguistic
minority have a common
experience of life, and this
manifests itself in Deaf culture
Includes beliefs, attitudes,
history, norms, values, literary
traditions, and art
Deaf culture is at the heart of
Deaf communities everywhere
in the world
Each can be a distinct cultural
and linguistic group
Further reading:
http://wfdeaf.org/our-
work/focus-areas/deaf-culture
10. Terminology Take Away
How people “label” or choose to identify themselves
is a personal matter
Identification may reflect:
Relationship with the deaf and hard of hearing community
Degree to which they can hear
Relative age of onset
Important to explore terminology, keep up to date,
and be sensitive and aware of what this service
population prefers to be called
12. Issues
Hidden impairment
Most of the time, one cannot look at a patron and deduce that
they are hearing impaired
Communication
Hearing impaired patrons communicate in such a wide variety
of ways, it can be difficult for librarians who are not mindful of
the impairments of their patrons to be aware of their needs
Speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, or a combination of these
Embarrassment
Deaf or hard of hearing children may not be good readers
Have more in common with ESL learners
13. Limited Knowledge
Many libraries and librarians have limited
knowledge of this population
May lack appropriate resources to assist the patrons,
their families, and their caregivers
If they lack resources, they may not adequately
market these services to the patrons
As this is a hidden impairment, marketing can be crucial
14. DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
CHILDREN DEVELOP EARLY
LITERACY IN A DIFFERENT WAY
THAN NORMAL HEARING CHILDREN—
LIBRARIANS SHOULD BE AWARE OF
THIS
Early Literacy
15. Early Literacy
Young children’s grasp of print
as a tool for making meaning
and as a way to communicate
combines both oral and written
language
Children draw and scribble and
‘read’ their marks by attributing
meaning to them through their
talk
They listen to stories read aloud
Children’s early reading and
writing learning is imbedded in
a larger developing system of
oral communication
Sound is essential to developing
critical literacy skills
16. Early Literacy Continued
Two of the three critical
content categories in
early literacy deal
directly with hearing
Oral language
comprehension
Phonological awareness
The ability to pay attention
to, identify, and reflect on
various sound structures
of speech
Critical understanding
needed to progress in
literacy
17. Early Literacy for
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
On average, children who had language deficits had
greater difficulty functioning in day-to-day life
Children’s language attainment decreased as hearing loss
increased
Hearing impaired children, during preschool years,
are vulnerable to reading problems that arise from
weaker development of vocabulary, sentence, and
discourse skills
18. Hope for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
Researchers have found that when a baby’s hearing
abilities are identified early and children and
families receive excellent intervention services by
one year of age, children can attain language skills
near the level of their hearing peers by the time they
are five years old
19. IDEA FOR PROVIDING PUBLIC
LIBRARY RESOURCES TO DEAF AND
HARD OF HEARING FAMILIES AND
CHILDREN
Providing Resources
20. Factors for Providing Services
Collection development
Collect video materials and inclusive children’s literature
Marketing
Clear policies
Clear policies regarding deaf and hard of hearing patrons
Clear goals in the library’s strategic plan
Support from library management
Can help clear roadbloks
Shuffle in new ideas
Children’s programming
21. Children’s Programming
Library programs for deaf
children should reflect the
wide variety of existing
children’s programs
Storytelling
Crafts
Guest performers
More!
Implementing sign
language (if possible)
General consensus that this
is positive for hearing
impaired and normal hearing
children
22. Your role:
Establish a literacy-rich
environment
Share good books
Demonstrate appropriate
reading behavior
Engage the child
Elaborate on the text
Reread stories on a
storytelling or a story
reading continuum
Take time to make sure the
child understands
Follow the child’s lead
Take cues from the child
Connect concepts from the
story to the real world
Relate the characters to real
events
Use eye contact to elicit
participation
At out the story after you’ve
read it
Make sure the environment
you and the child are in is
both positive and
reinforcing
Believe in the child!
Reading to Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Children
23. Manual and DVD: Reading to
Deaf Children: Learning From
Deaf Adults (A Guide for Parents
and Teachers Who Want to Share
the Pleasure of Reading with the
Deaf Children in Their Lives)
Recommended by the Laurent
Clerc National Deaf Education
Center at Gallaudet University
Video presentation:
http://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc-
center/learning-
opportunities/online-
learning/fifteen-principles-for-
reading-to-deaf-children.html
Reading to Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Children
24. Reading to Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Children
The Denver Public Library
has other great ideas on
how to best read to and
read with deaf and hard of
hearing children on their
blog
Https://www.denverlibrary.
org/blog/reading-deaf-and-
hard-hearing-children
Read With Me DVD Series
Shares the joy of storytelling
with deaf toddlers—ideas for
parents and caregivers
25. CAN BE HIGH OR LOW TECH – MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT LIBRARIANS
AND LIBRARIES CAN USE
TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER ASSIST
THEIR PATRONS
Technology
26. Assistive Technologies
Most devices either provide amplified sound or alternate
ways to access information through vision and/or
vibration
Three general categories
Hearing technology
Alerting devices
Communication supports
Examples:
Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs)
Television Telecaption Decoders
Overall goal: improved accessibility to information most
people gain through their hearing
27. Opportunities with iPads
Applications
The Baobab
Interactive, bilingual storytelling app (English/American Sign
Language)
Created by the Gallaudet University’s Science of Learning Center
on Visual Language and Visual Learning
Splingo’s Language Universe
Builds listening and language skills
Designed by Speech-Language Pathologists
Little Ears – Sounds for Toddlers
Build listening and language skills
Provide greater audio awareness
Signed Stories
Best-selling children’s stories performed in American or British
Sign Language
28. Tele-Intervention
New and emerging technique that
is providing health care to people
in remote areas
Strategies to help deaf and hard of
hearing children:
Given the fact that there is a
limited supply of people trained
to provide services to infants
and young children, this
valuable new technology can
help provide services to deaf and
hard of hearing children in rural
or remote areas
For further reading:
http://www.infanthearing.org/ti-
guide/
29. Sites that Discuss Technology for Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Preschool Age Children
Assistive Technology
From the WI Department of Public Instruction:
http://www.wati.org/content/supports/free/pdf/Ch13-
Hearing.pdf
iPad Applications
Healthy Hearing list:
http://www.healthyhearing.com/report/51839-8-great-apps-
for-children-with-hearing-loss
30. PRINT RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
BEST SERVE DEAF AND HARD OF
HEARING CHILDREN AND THEIR
FAMILIES IN YOUR LIBRARY
Physical Resources
31. Books to Know
Try Your Hand at This: Easy Ways
to Incorporate Sign Language into
Your Programs by Kathy MacMillan
Turning the Tide: Making Life Better
for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Schoolchildren by Gina A. Oliva &
Linda Risser Lytle
Deaf in America: Voices from a
Culture by Carol Padden & Tom
Humphries
Issues in Access: Creating Effective
Preschools, for Deaf, hard of
Hearing, and Hearing Children by
Gail Solit & Angela Bednarczyk
Once Upon a Sign: Using American
Sign Language to Engage,
Entertain, and Teach All Children by
Kim Taylor-DiLeva
32. ONLINE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
SERVE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN
YOUR LIBRARY
Digital Resources
33. Laurent Clerc National
Deaf Education Center
Located at Gallaudet University
Provides information, training, and technical
assistance for parents and professionals to meet the
needs of deaf and hard of hearing children
Resources
Provides resources for families, for professionals new to deaf
education, and parents and professionals who have or work
with children who are deaf or hard of hearing
Provides technology in different forms to promote online
learning
34. Resources for Families
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing
Helps families, health care providers, and education professionals understand
hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention
Get advocacy information, publications, resources, and more
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD)
Conducts and supports research in the normal and disordered processes of
hearing, speech, and language
American Society for Deaf Children
Valuable resources for parents, educators, and providers
National Association of the Deaf
The Nation’s premiere civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and hard of
hearing individuals in the United States
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Services for the deaf and hard of hearing
35. Resources for Librarians
Disability Resources – Serving Deaf Patrons
List of links to resources to better serve deaf patrons
Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA)
Library Accessibility Tip Sheet (PDF Format)
ASCLA’s Library Service to People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Forum (LSSPS)
The Deaf Resource Library
A virtual library—online collection of reference material and links intended to educate and
inform people about Deaf cultures in the United States
The Red Notebook
A starting point for libraries to look up information regarding the deaf community and
library services
Deaf Culture Online
Everything you’ve wanted to know about Deaf culture (and then some)
National Literary Society of the Deaf (NLSD)
NLSD promotes networking and shared resources to assure the provision of cost-effective
and efficient library services to the deaf community regardless of location
Continuing the Conversation: Serving Deaf Patrons in the Library
ALA Editions special report
36. Other Useful Websites
Described and Captioned Media Program
Provides free access to thousands of free-loan described and
captioned media titles
Many different topics to choose from
Gallaudet University
Private university for the education of Deaf and hard of hearing
individuals
World’s largest publisher of books about and for the deaf community
Has large list of public LibGuides on many different topics related to
deaf and hard of hearing research
The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative
A library that also serves as a Deaf Literacy Center
Website is full of facts and tips and ideas
37. CONNECT WITH LOCAL DEAF
COMMUNITIES AND DEAF EDUCATION
CENTERS – FOSTERING
COMMUNICATION AND CREATING
GREAT RELATIONSHIPS IS KEY TO
ASSISTING THIS SERVICE
POPULATION
Outreach
38. Outreach Ideas
Connect with the Deaf community in your area
Can offer invaluable insight
Fosters relationships
Elevates so-so programs to exemplary ones
For Wisconsin residents:
http://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/ysn-03.pdf
World Federation of the Deaf
http://wfdeaf.org/our-work/focus-areas/deaf-culture
39. - Marlee Matlin
“The handicap of deafness does
not lie in the ear;
it lies in the mind.”
40. Thank You
IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO
CONTACT ME BY EMAIL AT
CIMULLEN@UWM.EDU
41. References
Ching, T.Y.C., Crowe, K., Martin, V., Day, J., Mahler, N. Street, L., Orsini, J.
(2011). Language development and everyday functioning of children with
hearing loss assessed at 3 years of age. International Journal of Speech-
Language Pathology, 12(2), 124-131.
Community and culture. (2016). Frequently asked questions. National
Association of the Deaf. Retrieved from
https://nad.org/issues/american-sign-language/community- and-
culture-faq
Degree of hearing loss. (2015). American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Degree-
of-Hearing-Loss/
Gallaudet Research Institute (April 2011). Regional and National Summary
Report of Data from the 2009-10 Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard
of Hearing Children and Youth. Washington, DC: GRI, Gallaudet
University.
Johnston, F., Invernizzi, M., Helman, L., Bear, D., & Templeton, S. (2015).
Phonological awareness. In Words their way for Pre-K-K (pp. 57-77).
New York: Pearson.
42. References Continued
Lederberg, A. R., Miller, E. M., Easterbrooks, S. R., & Connor, C. M. (2014).
"Foundations for literacy": An early literacy intervention for deaf and
hard-of-hearing Children. Journal Of Deaf Studies And Deaf
Education, 19(4), 438-455.
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/10.1093/deafed/enu022
Lederberg, A.R., Schick, B., & Spencer, P.E. (2013). Language and literacy
development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children: Successes and
challenges. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 15-30.
Lightfoot, M.H., & Meynardie, B. (2015). Online with the clerc center:
Bringing resources to families and professionals. Odyssey: New Directions
in Deaf Education, 16, 68-73. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/fulltext/EJ1064166.pdf
Marschark, M., & Hauser, Peter C. (2011). How deaf children learn: What
parents and teachers need to know. Cary: Oxford University Press, USA.
McCarthy, M., Muñoz, K., & White, K. (2010). Teleintervention for infants
and young children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Pediatrics, 126, Suppl
1, S52-8.
43. References Continued
Moeller, M.P., Tomblin, J.B., Yoshinaga-Itano, C., Connor, C.M., &
Jerger, S. (2007). Current state of knowledge: Language and literacy
of children with hearing impairment. Ear & Hearing, 28, 740-753.
National Early Literacy Panel. (2008). Developing early literacy:
Report of the National Early Literacy Panel. Washington, DC:
National Institute for Literacy.
National Institutes of Health. (2014). Quick statistics: NICDC
health information. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/Pages/quick.aspx
Paul, P.V. (2011). What’s in a word (label, phrase, term, etc.)?
American Annals of the Deaf, 156(3), 235-238.
doi:10.1353/aad.2011.0029
Playforth, S. (2004). Inclusive library services for deaf people: An
overview from the social model perspective. Health Information &
Libraries Journal, 21. 54–57. doi:10.1111/j.1740-3324.2004.00518.x
44. References Continued
Riley, C. (2009) Training for library patrons who are hard of
hearing. Journal of Access Services, 6(1-2), 72-97.
doi:10.1080/15367960802286260
Sass-Lehrer, Marilyn. (2011). Early beginnings for deaf and hard of
hearing children: Guidelines for effective services. Gallaudet
University, Laurent Cler National Deaf Education Center. Retrieved
from www.gallaudet.edu/documents/clerc/ei.pdf
Schleper, D. R. (1997). Reading to Deaf Children: Learning from
Deaf Adults. Washington, DC: Laurent Clerc National Deaf
Education Center at Gallaudet University. (ISBN 0-88095-212-1)
Slater, L. (2013). Public library services to deaf families and deaf
children. OLA Quarterly, 19(3), 12-17.
Types of hearing loss. (2015). American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. Retrieved from
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Types-of-Hearing-Loss/
