Background: A growing number of students with hearing loss are being granted access to
higher education in South Africa due to the adoption of inclusive educational policies.
However, available statistics indicate that participation by students with hearing impairments
in higher education remains low and research suggests that support provisioning for those
who do gain access is inadequate.
Objectives: This article aims to illustrate that the assumed self-identity of students with
hearing impairment influences their choice to disclose their disability. The choice not to
disclose their hearing loss prevents them from accessing the necessary reasonable
accommodations and this in turn may affect their eventual educational success.
Method: Reported here is a qualitative descriptive case study at a South African university.
Purposive sampling methods were employed. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews
with seven students with hearing impairment ranging from moderate to profound, using
spoken language. Constructivist grounded theory was used as an approach to the process of
generating and transforming the data, as well as the construction of theory.
Findings: All the student participants identified as having a hearing rather than a D/deaf
identity cultural paradigm and viewed themselves as ‘normal’. Linked to this was their
unwillingness to disclose their hearing impairment and thus access support.
Conclusion: It is crucially important for academic, support and administrative staff to be
aware of both the assumed ‘hearing’ identity and therefore subsequent non-disclosure
practices of students with a hearing impairment using the oral method of communication.
Universities need to put measures in place to encourage students to voluntarily disclose their
hearing impairment in order to provide more targeted teaching and learning support. This
could lead to improved educational outcomes for students.