Analysis of the Benefits of Deaf Faculty Classes for University Students and the Costs of Accommodation of Deaf Faculty Members: An International Comparison

Abstract

While many universities have developed disability services and research projects for disabled students, only a handful have extended such services and initiatives to disabled faculty members. This study aimed to identify university students’ evaluation of the benefits of deaf faculty classes. The study adopted an explanatory and exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, and participants included students who attended classes taught by the deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) faculty members employed at mainstream universities. A total of 104 students in D/HH faculty classes at universities in Japan, the United States, Canada, Ghana, and Sweden participated in the surveys, and 19 students participated in the interviews. This study also interviewed 25 D/HH faculty members from universities in Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ghana. Fifty-seven D/HH faculty members from these countries as well as Australia, Finland, South Africa, and Belgium, participated in the surveys. The study analyzed students’ willingness to pay for classes taught by D/HH faculty members, and found that students’ total values were higher than the labor and accommodation costs of D/HH faculty members. As the evaluation included participants from various countries, the study also observed that the financial support system for accommodating D/HH faculty members in higher education varied among countries. This study demonstrated that students had higher expectations, especially regarding the development of disability services for faculty members with disabilities. The study also advocates recognizing the importance of expanding financial resources, establishing disability services, and training sign language interpreters.