THE EXPERIENCES OF DEAF YOUNG PEOPLE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA

This qualitative research study sought to critically explore the experiences and inclusion of deaf young people in higher education (HE) in Saudi Arabia (SA). It specifically focused on investigating how well-supported deaf young people were in HE, how well-supported they were to transition into HE, how inclusive the environment was for them, and also how prepared they were to be independent learners in a HE setting.
The present study draws upon on a nested case study into the experiences of deaf young people, and the analysis is focused on semi-structured interviews, observation, and documentary evidence with 30 participants from three higher education institutions (HEIs) in Saudi Arabia, including deaf young people from these institutions, student support staff who work with deaf young people, academic staff, and lecturers. This research applied two interconnected theoretical models, in which they offered an in- depth comprehension of the process of personal development of deaf young people in HE in SA. The first model is the ‘bioecological model of human development’ (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), which provides a holistic perspective of their development, acknowledging their unique characteristics (e.g., the nature of hearing loss) and the context in which they sit (e.g., the HE environment in SA), including interpreting how their personal characteristics and prior life experiences can influence their experiences in higher education. The second is the ‘dual access model’ (McLinden and Douglas, 2014), which suggests an appropriate balance of inclusive access to HE ‘access to learning’, for example, through ensuring that the environment in which deaf young people are situated is structured in a way that promotes their learning and involves guided support, as well as supporting them to develop independence skills ‘learning to access’ (e.g., self-advocacy and access to technology).