Disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on deaf college students.
Carrie Lou Bloom, Jeffrey Levi Palmer
PMID 40094381WHAT IT FOUND
Deaf college students were nearly twice as likely to withdraw or take a leave of absence during the pandemic compared to hearing peers.
While they reported similar levels of institutional support, they faced significantly more class cancellations and housing instability.
Key findings
01Deaf students were nearly twice as likely to take a leave of absence or withdraw from their institution during the pandemic, even after accounting for age, gender, race, and risk factors.
02Deaf students reported less helpful communication from their college regarding access to coursework compared to hearing students, though communication about financial aid and housing was similar.
03Deaf students experienced significantly higher rates of class cancellations and difficulty finding stable housing than their hearing peers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional and relies on self-reported data from a single point in time (the onset of the pandemic), so it cannot determine if students eventually re-enrolled or transferred. It did not have sufficient sample size to analyze heterogeneity within the deaf student population (e.g., differences by race, additional disabilities, or age). There was no pre-pandemic baseline data for these specific pandemic-related questions, making it difficult to know if these disparities are unique to the crisis or recurring.
Declared interests
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lower rates of food insecurity among deaf students as evidence of greater economic stability. The study notes that deaf students also received emergency aid at significantly lower rates, and the authors suggest college enrollment itself may act as a buffer rather than indicating better financial health.