Effective Bibliographic Instruction for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired College Students

COLLEGENROLLMENT OF DEAF AND HEARING-IMPAIRED students is increasing steadily, and librarians must be prepared to meet the needs of these special students. Furthermore, with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (P.L. 101-336 sec. 302), all private and public entities must make allowance for the equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, and accommodations by all disabled individuals. The greatest barrier to providing equal access to libraries for deaf or hearing-impaired students is communication, but staff training, specialized bibliographic instruction, written library materials, and special equipment can provide the deaf and hearingimpaired student with the same accessibility to academic library materials as that enjoyed by their hearing peers. INTRODUCTION Deaf students are a small but growing population on college campuses. Recent legislation mandating equal access to the facilities and services of all public and private entities for able and disabled citizens is one of many factors in this trend. While Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.; the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York; and California State University at Northridge provide special programs to educate deaf college Melanie J. Norton, Special Services, Wallace Library, Rochester Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 9887, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-0887 LIBRARY TRENDS, Vol. 41, No. 1, Summer 1992, pp. 118-50 @ 1992 The Board of Trustees, University of Illinois NORTON/BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION 119 students, not all deaf students will choose to attend these institutions of higher learning. Technological advances in hearing aids have encouraged mainstreaming of deaf and hearing-impaired students in elementary and high schools. Mainstreamed students are likely to continue their education and choose colleges that they would not have considered in the past. As college enrollment continues to decline, disabled students are an untapped resource for college admissions. Whatever the reasons, college enrollment by deaf and hearing-impaired students is expected to increase, and librarians must be prepared to meet the needs of these special students. In order to succeed in higher education, students must understand basic library procedures. Providing bibliographic instruction to deaf students poses a special challenge for librarians. Unlike their hearing peers, most deaf students arrive on college campuses with little or no knowledge of basic library resources and systems. To complicate the situation, most librarians have little or no knowledge of deafness or preparation for instructing deaf individuals. All librarians at institutions of higher learning must be prepared to welcome and instruct deaf and hearing-impaired students in the effective use of their libraries. Programs and services should provide these students with the capabilities to proceed with their academic endeavors as independently as possible. This means effective bibliographic instruction. LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND Until the 1970s, the educational needs of deaf people were met by removing them from the “mainstream” of the regular classroom and serving them in either segregated self-contained classrooms or entirely separate residential schools for the deaf (Moores, 1987, p. 5). The Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act passed in 1975 mandated mainstreaming disabled students whenever possible. Since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act, more parents have enrolled their disabled children in public schools. The mainstream environment promotes interaction of disabled students with able peers thus encouraging a greater number of disabled students to attend colleges and universities that they once would not have considered. The Rehabilitation Act (1973) guarantees aid for educational advancement to disabled adults. Under these laws, no college or university that receives federal funds may refuse to admit students with a hearing loss. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into effect on July 26, 1990, by President Bush, will mean changes in library 120 LIBRARY TRENDWSUMMER 1992 services for deaf patrons. Title I11 of the ADA specifies that “no inlvidual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodations operated by a private entity or business” (P.L. 101336). Libraries are included as one of these “facilities.” “Equal enjoyment” means that librarians must provide effective and successful instruction in library use to people who are deaf so that they can take full advantage of the library’s resources. The Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the ADA all support the deaf individual in obtaining an education equal to that of a hearing individual at any institution of higher learning. LIBRARY STAFFTRAINING Effective library service begins with librarians. Training in serving the special needs of deaf and other lsabled patrons should begin in library schools where classes on serving special populations should be included in the curriculum. Overcoming attitudinal barriers is essential. Library students must understand that disabled students want to be treated like everyone else. A hearing impairment does not mean an intellectual weakness. If librarians do not feel comfortable when approached by deaf students, sensitive students will perceive the librarian’s unease (Mularski, 1987,p. 478). It is important for library administrators to support seminars that teach librarians how to work with deaf library users and provide information about other aspects of deafness. Librarians need to understand that deafness ranges from mild to severe, that some deaf people benefit from the use of a hearing aid while others do not, and that personal preferences in communication style vary and may include sign language, speaking and speechreading, and writing (see Goldmann and Mallory in this issue of Library Trends).For referral purposes, the librarian should also be aware of local, state, and national organizations available to people who are deaf. To comply with the ADA, libraries are advised to have at least one librarian on staff who knows sign language. If possible, some staff members should be given time off to attend sign language classes; with the growing number of colleges and high schools offering sign language courses, i t should not be much of a burden for at least one library staff member to learn sign language. This librarian could become the contact person for the disabled students on campus and could serve as a reliable source of information in the library for deaf and hearing-impaired students. If no librarian on staff can sign, a certified interpreter must be made available on demand. NORTON/BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION 121 Opportunities to learn and practice the manual alphabet and library related signs must be encouraged for the entire library staff to facilitate effective communication with deaf and hearing-impaired students. Finger spelling is basic to communicating with people who are deaf and hearing impaired and is relatively easy to learn. Most colleges and universities have a special office that serves the needs of self-identified disabled students who attend college (it is illegal for the admissions application to ask i f the applicant is disabled; students must volunteer this information). This office can provide a list of self-identified disabled students to the librarian in charge of services for the disabled. This list can prepare the entire library staff for the needs of incoming disabled students (Mularski, 1987, p. 481). The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is one of eight colleges at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). RIT’s Wallace Library provides services for all eight colleges on the RIT campus. One professional reference librarian is assigned to work with all disabled students on campus, including the nearly 1,200 deaf students who attend NTID. This is a unique situation. Certainly most academic librarians would not be faced with such a large number of deaf students. The presence of NTID at RIT has made it necessary for the Wallace Library staff to develop and provide effective and creative bibliographic instruction for deaf college students. BIBLIOGRAPHIC NSTRUCTION Effective communication is the key to effective instruction. It is easy for librarians to become frustrated with a patron’s lack of knowledge about how to use the library. It is especially frustrating when communication between the patron and the librarian breaks down. Ideally, library instruction should begin in elementary school. The fact is that most college freshmen have no idea how to use the library catalog or simple search tools such as the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature. Deaf students often have even less familiarity with the library because most of their precollege education has been consumed with learning and reinforcing everyday survival skills. Much of the early education for deaf children focuses on lipreading and communication skills (Locke, 1987, p. 5 ) . GROUPINSTRUCTION Before the librarian meets with a group of deaf students, he or she should contact their instructor to find out as much as possible about the class, particularly students’ reading levels and prior library experience. Many deaf college students have lower reading levels than 122 LIBRARY TRENDSAUMMER 1992 their hearing peers. For example, at NTID the average incoming freshman reads at an eighth grade level. The size of the group is a key factor in group instruction of deaf students. More than ten students in a group makes communication difficult. Deaf students need to see the hands of the person who is signing, whether this is the librarian or the interpreter. If there is no interpreter and the librarian does not sign, deaf students must be able to watch the librarian’s lips. Therefore, the smaller the group, the easier i t is for each student to see the speaker or interpreter. Each student needs a clear view of the librarian and whatever the librarian is demonstrating (Norton, 1988). The need for visual instruction for deaf students cannot be emphasized enough. Dalton (1985) states: “An effective program for library service to the deaf and hearing impaired relies heavily on the visual sense; visual cues are important” (p. 29). With this in mind, the following practices will contribute to effective group instruction: 1. Take the students on a tour through the library building pointing out tools and services they will need to use (i.e., the circulation desk, the reference area, copy machines). 2. Prepare handouts which reinforce locations and use of these tools and services. 3. Maintain a slow pace and establish eye contact. 4. Focus the group instruction on a particular assignment or a subject of general interest. By using specific examples, library instruction will have meaning for students. Students will not listen to a librarian unless they have a vested interest in what is being taught. By gearing instruction to an assignment, students will focus on library learning as the means to an end-successful completion of their assignment (Breivik, 1975, p. 46). 5. Do not neglect the obvious. Technical terms need to be clarified. Searching techniques for monographs and serials need to be clearly explained before students can concentrate on information gathering. 6. Provide hands-on experience to reinforce the lesson. Let the students search the library catalog for books by their favorite author. 7. Question the students spontaneously during instruction to determine their level of understanding. Often both hearing and deaf students will nod their heads in acknowledgment while not understanding a word of what is being said. 8. Obtain feedback from students and their instructor whenever possible. A survey or evaluation form distributed to students after NORTON/BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION 123 the instruction will help determine areas of the presentation that need improvement. 9. Reinforce library skills by presenting information in several short sessions. Including too much information in one session will cause boredom and information overload. INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION Informal library instruction can be just as effective as formal instruction. Meyers (1979, p. 60) points out that the impulse of most children’s librarians, especially when confronted with a deaf student, is to go to the shelves and find a book or magazine for the patron. This applies not only to children’s librarians but also to academic librarians. Although this method is easier and quicker for the librarian, in the long run i t is much more effective to “walk” the student through the appropriate steps in locating these materials. By showing students the library’s card catalog or online catalog and demonstrating how to use it, students will learn and retain information and will often pass this information on to their deaf peers (Karuth, 1983). There is nothing new in this method of instruction. However, demonstrating is a very important method to use when working with deaf students, because deaf patrons have a more visual style of learning than the hearing population. In other words, the “show me” style of teaching is most effective. Do not be embarrassed to ask the student to write things down. It is more embarrassing to continue without either the student or librarian knowing what the other is talking about. By the time deaf students reach college, they will understand this method of communication. Again, because reading levels of deaf college students are generally lower than those of hearing college students, the librarian’s message should be written using simple vocabulary and short clear sentences. What seem to be simple rules of communication are often overlooked by hearing people. Librarians must remember not to talk to the student’s back or move their heads as they speak. The deaf student needs to see the lips of the speaker. Although it does not always come naturally to hearing people, i t is important to be animated. An animated person is much more interesting to watch than someone who is emotionless (see Goldmann and Mallory in this issue of Library Trends). FACULTYINSTRUCTION The role of faculty is often overlooked in bibliographic instruction. Despite their advanced degrees, faculty often do not understand the complex workings of the library. It is helpful to survey 124 LIBRARY TRENDS/SUMMER 1992 the faculty to identify their needs and their expectations for student library use, “Advertise” library services for deaf students in faculty newsletters. Faculty need to be aware of the library’s special services in designing successful research assignments for deaf and hearingimpaired students and also be aware that small group orientation and instruction sessions are available. If possible, negotiate goals with each instructor who requests your assistance, and guide them to realistic expectations. WRITTEN LIBRARY MATERIALS The best aids in bibliographic instruction for deaf students are written materials. Deaf people are visual learners and written library materials such as a script of the tour or instruction help reinforce orientation and help students to proceed with library research independently. At Wallace Library, the librarian in charge of students with special needs has created a guide especially designed for NTID students (see Appendix A). Drawings of the locations and arrangements of the library departments are included. This guide is written in clear simple language and has even been requested by faculty for hearing classes! Publicize the library’s services extensively (Karuth, 1983). Post press releases in dorms and campus resource centers and send them to faculty and other contact people. Place classified ads in student magazines or newspapers. Encourage students to seek out the librarian for individual instruction. If there is a librarian who is primarily responsible for services to deaf students, this librarian should establish regular office hours and post these on his or her office door and around campus (see Appendix B). EQUIPMENT “Computer telecommunications is rapidly reducing barriers to the modern world for many persons with a variety of disabilities” (Kimball, 1991, p. 1 ) . Computer technology can expand communications for deaf individuals. Wallace Library provides responses to simple reference questions through electronic mail on the campus computer system. Electronic mail means less need for oral communication and has proven effective in breaking down the barriers between the able and disabled population. In the near future, library instruction may be given through telecommunication courses. RIT now offers courses through the campus computer networks. Captioned instructional videos are another option for library instruction. At Wallace Library, the business librarian, with the help of the College of Business, created a captioned instructional videotape of the marketing resources available in the NORTON/BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION 125 library. This tape has provided NTID students with a level of instruction equal to that of hearing students. If library instruction is taught in a special instruction lab or classroom, then an induction loop will help those wearing a hearing aid by increasing amplification of the speakers. An induction loop is relatively inexpensive and easy to install. “If a library has a telephone reference service i t must provide effective telecommunications for people with hearing impairments” (Gunde, 1991, p. 808). Under the provisions of ADA (Title IV of P.L. 101-336), every library must have a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a relay system in place by July 1993. TDDs located at the library’s reference and circulation desks will enable deaf patrons to call for reference and circulation information and to communicate at the same level as hearing people (Dalton, 1985, p. 28). All library staff should learn TDD operation and strategies for effective telecommunication with deaf patrons. CONCLUSION An effective bibliographic instruction program will ensure that both deaf and hearing people benefit from the library’s collection. When a comprehensive program especially designed for deaf students is developed and is evaluated in terms of student learning, this instruction may prove to be one of the most cost-effective means of providing library service to deaf students on the college campus. Without the concerted efforts of the entire library staff, however, deaf and hearing-impaired students do not have equal access to the library. This should be an important concern for the library administration. Through staff training, specialized bibliographic instruction, written library materials, and equipment to facilitate communication, the library will not be a frustrating place for the deaf college student. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to thank Suzanne Bell, Gail Kovalik, and Barbara Polowy for their editorial comments and help. 126 LIBRARY TRENDS/SUMMER 1992