Deaf students’ linguistic access in online education: The case of Trinidad

Abstract

ABSTRACT Comparatively little research on linguistic access in deaf education has occurred in the Caribbean when compared to the rest of the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Caribbean countries attempted large-scale e-learning for the first time. This study investigates how an emergent system of e-learning that started during crisis conditions affects the linguistic access of deaf students in Trinidad and Tobago. The framework for investigation encompasses the learning management system, course materials and language and communication involved in e-learning. A phenomenological method of inquiry is employed to understand the processes of receiving and providing online deaf education in terms of those who experience it. Data are triangulated from deaf primary and secondary school students, their teachers, interpreters and parents. Deaf learners encountered unique modality-specific barriers since e-learning in the country was not prepared to convey the full range of communication available in sign language. Challenges also stemmed from institutional support issues, existing social inequalities and the unique sociolinguistic history of the local deaf community. These conditions have implications for deaf students’ language learning and academic success. These are important considerations of e-learning or blended learning practices for deaf learners that deserve further empirical scrutiny.