Iw. Leigh et al., PROVIDING PSYCHOLOGICAL-SERVICES TO DEAF INDIVIDUALS - A RESPONSE TO NEW PERCEPTIONS OF DIVERSITY, Professional psychology, research and practice, 27(4), 1996, pp. 364-371
The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 mandates that psychologist
s provide equal access to services For persons with disabilities. Disa
bled individuals, including deaf and hard of hearing persons, form an
important part of the diversity spectrum. Deafness and hearing loss si
gnificantly affect life experiences, development, and the ability to o
btain and use services. psychologists must develop awareness of the im
plications thereof in order to provide appropriate services in an ethi
cal manner to such clients. This article presents core knowledge about
deafness and hearing loss in an effort to enhance this necessary awar
eness for practitioners not specializing in this area.