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Project Title ACCESS – ACCess to SuccESS for Deaf or Hearing Impaired Students through Language and Academic Mobility Background According to the WHO over 5% of the world’s population – 360 million people – has disabling hearing loss (328 million adults and 32 million children). Deaf and hard of hearing students belong to the most disadvantaged groups among young people. One of the main impacts of hearing loss is on the individual’s ability to communicate with others. Spoken language development is often delayed in children and students with deafness. Hearing loss and ear disease can have a significantly adverse effect on the academic performance of young people. However, when opportunities are provided for the deaf or the hearing impaired to communicate, they can gain equal access to study or professional opportunities. Technological and assistive aids (FM systems, inductive loops, sign language interpreters) and at the same time the greater openness of the European universities to the needs of this group of students contribute to the growth of their number in the higher education. Unfortunately young people with hearing problems have still limited access to participate in mobility programmes like Erasmus +. One of the reasons for this is the lack of knowledge of a foreign language at an appropriate level. This in turn due to the still inadequate preparation of academic teachers/educators about specific teaching methods and tools addressed to deaf and hard- of-hearing students. According to the data from the period 2007-2013 in Portugal only 0,0060% disabled Erasmus participants were students with hearing impairment, at this time in Slovakia only 1 person with hearing problem took part in Erasmus mobility. Limited access to foreign language learning and to participating in exchange programs means that these students are excluded from acquiring such social skills like existing in tolerant, multicultural environment – the main social pillar of the European Union. Project objectives: Project Description (suggested activities) Reducing disparities in learning outcomes affecting disadvantaged (deaf and hard-of-hearing) learners Addressing low achievement in basic skills through more effective teaching methods Improving the quality and relevance of higher education Promoting equity, social inclusion and active citizenship in educational and training field Promoting the learning and teaching innovative methods focused on the individuals’ needs; providing effective personalized learning support Creating learning environment (on the local, regional and European level) that foster equity and inclusion, where individuals with hearing problems receive support they need to succeed and feel valued and respected Survey among academic teachers related to their experiences (or its lack) and knowledge about supporting students with hearing impairment Survey among deaf and hard-of-hearing students related to their Expected Outputs Project management needs and possibilities in the English learning process Workshops for academic staff from partner organizations Exchange visits for students with hearing impairment and their English teacher (participating in English classes) Visiting non-governmental organizations related to innovative education methods and/or new supporting technologies for people with hearing problems Facultative on line courses of BSL, ASL, ISL for students and academic teachers Study visits for sharing experiences and collecting good methods/tools regarding English learning to students with hearing impairment Summer school of English for students with hearing impairment Teaching materials/lessons scenarios for English classes with deaf and hard of hearing students (with Introduction about the “Deaf Culture” and main obstacles the deaf and hard of hearing people face in the daily life and in the education) On line courses for academic foreign language teachers, how to cooperate with deaf or hard of hearing students Raising awareness campaign (on students reports on project website, short films on youtube channels, Facebook etc.) about possibilities how can people with hearing impairment learn English Support Office for Students with disabilities and Multimedia Foreign Language Centre for Students with disabilities at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland) may be a leader institution in this project. We are looking for partners (higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations) both from English speaking countries and from other countries. Polish teachers from the Multimedia Foreign Language Centre have an experience in practical teaching English to students with various disabilities, especially deaf and hard of hearing students. The Multimedia Centre is one of the most modern laboratories for this aim in Poland. Polish students with hearing impairment participated in 2014 exchange program with Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, where they took part in lectures and regular classes with British students. Teacher’s individual approach to needs and skills of a student and full involvement of the students in their process of gaining language competence are the main advantages of courses at AMU. CONTACT PERSON: Anna Rutz Support Office for Students with disabilities [email protected]