2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

Advancing Accessibility: Leveraging Technology to Empower Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in STEM Higher Education

Introduction
Diversity and inclusion are the essential pillars of progress in STEM fields, yet Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students remain underrepresented, facing unique challenges in higher education.
Despite efforts by organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and AccessComputing to promote inclusivity, DHH students continue to encounter barriers in STEM disciplines. This extended abstract reviews the current state of technology and innovative approaches to enhance the academic success of DHH students in STEM higher education.

Background: Challenges and Current Interventions
A systematic review by Alsalamah et al. [1] revealed a scarcity of studies focusing on DHH students in STEM disciplines, emphasizing the need for further investigation. One reason is that students who leave STEM, including DHH students, report needing to work harder than other students to maintain a sense of belonging [2].
Communication barriers and vocabulary limitations pose significant challenges for DHH students in STEM courses. While technology-based interventions such as e-learning and captioning have improved communication access, they often fail to address STEM-specific challenges. Further research is needed to determine their impact and limitations. Additionally, the diversity of sign languages and limited STEM-based vocabulary complicates learning outcomes, highlighting the need for tailored solutions.
Current interventions have shown promise in enhancing communication access but struggle to address STEM-specific challenges such as STEM-based vocabulary, mathematical proficiency, and problem-solving skills. Innovative approaches leveraging large language models (LLMs), artificial intelligence (AI), and other technologies may hold promise in addressing these gaps and empowering
DHH students in STEM education.

Research Methodology
This review employs a systematic approach to data screening, extraction, and analysis, focusing on identifying key challenges, intervention approaches, and reported results in the literature. By synthesizing findings from diverse sources, this review aims to inform recommendations for improving accessibility and inclusivity for DHH students in STEM higher education.

Expected Results
The findings from this study are anticipated to provide comprehensive insights that will benefit academia, the accessibility community, and policymakers. The study aims to:
1. Identify key barriers faced by DHH students in STEM higher education.
2. Evaluate the efficacy of current technological solutions in enhancing the academic experiences
of DHH students.
3. Reveal existing gaps in technology and educational strategies.
4. Propose evidence-based recommendations for developing and implementing more effective
educational technologies.
5. Inform and influence policies aimed at improving accessibility, entry into STEM fields, and
retention rates for DHH students.

Conclusion
Advancing accessibility in STEM higher education requires a multifaceted approach that leverages technology, innovation, and collaboration. By addressing the unique challenges faced by DHH students and harnessing the potential of emerging technologies, we can create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students, regardless of their hearing abilities.

References
[1] A. Alsalamah. Using captioning services with deaf and hard of hearing students in higher
education. American Annals of the Deaf, 165(1):114–127, 2020.
[2] D. C. Braun, M. D. Clark, A. E. Marchut, C. M. Solomon, M. Majocha, Z. Davenport, R. S.
Kushalnagar, J. Listman, P. C. Hauser, and C. Gormally. Welcoming deaf students into stem:
Recommendations for university science education. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(3):es10,
2018.