Navigating E-Learning Coronavirus Challenges for Students With Hearing Loss

The sudden transition to e-learning coronavirus protocols caught many school districts off guard, creating immediate accessibility hurdles for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Captions, visible faces, clear audio, and consistent use of student supports can help make online classes more accessible.

WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS HELP STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS DURING E-LEARNING CORONAVIRUS INSTRUCTION?

During e-learning, coronavirus instruction, and virtual classrooms, students with hearing loss may benefit from captions, interpreters, FM/DM systems, written instructions, visual supports, recorded lessons, and reduced background noise.

E-LEARNING CORONAVIRUS

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), many of us have been participating in e-learning or virtual learning for several weeks. During that time, we have all learned a lot! We have learned what works, what doesn’t work, and what needs more work. And I daresay many of us have learned how to use new types of technology! You may find the following information helpful as you wrap up your school years and plan ahead for the fall.

MEETING LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently advised Congress that there was no need to provide any waivers in meeting the needs of students receiving services under IDEA. She reiterated that students with disabilities still have the right to receive a free, appropriate public education. DeVos did recommend that a waiver be made to allow toddlers receiving services under Part C to have their transition timeline extended if their evaluation dates occur during this window of school closures. For those of you having virtual IEP meetings during this time, check out the Virtual IEP Meeting Tip Sheets created by several programs funded by the Office of Special Education Programs.

E-LEARNING CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES:

The National Association of the Deaf has released a position statement on Educating PreK-12 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students During the COVID-19 outbreak. They have also established a webpage dedicated to Deaf Education Resources for all age levels that might be helpful. Communication Services for the Deaf has a variety of COVID-19 resource links available for the Deaf Community, including a communication card for both deaf and deafblind individuals. In addition, the A.G. Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has compiled a list of resources for families and educators. And for those of you who work with Spanish-speaking families, you might find this resource developed by the Louisiana School for the Deaf Outreach Program useful! And a great opportunity to have a digital pen pal is available at the DHH Teacher IS in.

Write! Keep a journal of daily activities by writing or drawing, create a lockdown diary, or establish a dialogue journal. Use magnetic letters to create words, write words in shaving cream, or create word labels for various items around the house. Draw pictures and write sentences to create a short story! Stay active! Check out some fun sensory activities at Hearing Like Me. Go on a scavenger hunt throughout your home or in your neighborhood (here’s a scavenger hunt list for older children). Check out this resource for some outdoor activities that specifically address balance, a common issue for many children who are deaf or hard of hearing. If you have access to outdoor space, take advantage of it with these 50 Simple Outdoor Activities for Kids. Learning is a part of our everyday lives. Break away from videos and worksheets! Encourage active learning opportunities that don’t rely on a screen. No matter what you choose to do, know that there is ALWAYS an opportunity to promote language development for our deaf and hard-of-hearing students. As educators, now is a prime opportunity to support parents in creating language-rich environments within their homes!

E-LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS DURING COVID-19 AND BEYOND

The sudden emergence of e-learning coronavirus models fundamentally altered how specialized education services are delivered. While these emergency measures were introduced as temporary fixes, digital components have been permanently integrated into modern education, making long-term access advocacy more critical than ever.

To help IEP teams, teachers, and families audit their virtual setups and ensure absolute communication access, we have developed a targeted compliance framework. Use the comprehensive checklist below to identify hidden technical barriers, monitor student listening fatigue, and implement the structural changes required for successful e-learning coronavirus instruction and modern hybrid education.

ONLINE LEARNING ACCESSIBILITY CHECKLIST

Include:

• Captions enabled
• Interpreter visibility
• Teacher microphone use
• Written instructions
• Visual supports
• Recorded lessons
• Communication checks
• Technology troubleshooting

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT E-LEARNING CORONAVIRUS – DURING & BEYOND

What challenges did the coronavirus pandemic create for students who are deaf or hard of hearing?
The pandemic created barriers like no captions, poor audio, faces not visible, and too many people talking at once. These made online learning harder for students with hearing loss.

Why is e-learning harder for students with hearing loss?
Students with hearing loss need clear access to sound and visual cues. Online classes often have more noise, less visibility, and fewer supports than in-person classes.

What are the most common barriers in online learning during the pandemic?
Common barriers include:

• No captions.
• Poor audio quality.
• Speaker’s face not visible.
• Multiple people talking at once.
• Late or missing materials.
• Trouble connecting to hearing technology.

What strategies help during e-learning during the coronavirus?
Helpful strategies include:

• Captions.
• Visible faces.
• Ring lights or good lighting.
• One speaker at a time.
• Mute when not speaking.
• Shared materials before class.
• Repeating key information.
• Regular check-ins.

How can families and students advocate during e-learning?
Families can check technology, talk with schools about needed supports, and help students practice asking for help. Students can use chat, raise a hand, or ask for directions to be repeated.

EMERGENCY REMOTE LEARNING AND SPECIAL EDUCATION RIGHTS FAQs

What legal rights protect DHH students during emergency virtual instruction?
Even during widespread school closures or emergency remote shifts, students with disabilities retain full legal rights under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The U.S. Department of Education explicitly stated that no regulatory waivers would be granted to bypass federal special education requirements. School districts remain legally mandated to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) alongside necessary auxiliary aids and services. Federal guidance explicitly stated that standard special education rights could not be waived, meaning school districts remained legally responsible for providing accessible setups under emergency e-learning coronavirus plans.

Why does crisis-driven online instruction create severe communication barriers?
The rapid transition to virtual platforms often results in “accidental exclusion” for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students. Traditional classrooms offer localized acoustic control, but home e-learning introduces systemic access barriers:

• Uncaptioned live video lectures and third-party media clips.
• Highly compressed, glitchy microphone audio from instructors and peers.
• The absence of clear sightlines, which completely cuts off a student’s ability to use speechreading (lipreading) cues.
• A lack of direct hardware integration between computer platforms and a student’s personal FM/DM assistive technology.

What are the recommended daily screen-time limits for virtual instruction?
To prevent severe physical fatigue and cognitive overload, educational teams should align their digital schedules with official National Board of Professional Teaching Standards guidelines.

Recommended daily caps for maximum screen time include:

• Elementary Students: 1 to 2 hours per day.
• Middle School Students: 2 to 3 hours per day.
• High School Students: 3 to 4 hours per day.

How can educators incorporate “Non-Screen Learning” into a virtual IEP?
To reduce intense listening strain and eye fatigue, Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TODHH) can design offline, language-rich assignments that target specific communication goals without relying on a computer monitor:

What immediate practices help teachers optimize a crisis-era virtual classroom?
Instructors can immediately elevate accessibility without an expensive IT budget by enforcing three structural rules:

• Mandate Microphone Muting: Require all participants to stay muted unless actively speaking to eliminate chaotic household background noise.
• Optimize Visual Positioning: Teachers should utilize directional front lighting (like a simple ring light or facing a bright window) and maintain full-face visibility to assist with tracking facial expressions.
• Pre-Distribute Visual Assets: Email or share all lecture slides, vocabulary lists, and worksheets before the live stream so students can preview concepts asynchronously.

Additional e-learning coronavirus resources:
10 Low-Tech Ideas for Virtual Instruction
Access & Advocacy in an e-Learning World
Creating the Least Restrictive Online Learning Environments
E-Learning & Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Access Check
Captioned Media to the Rescue
Lost in the Noise: The Learning Gap for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Originally published: July 2020
Last Updated: June 2026