A STUDY OF INCLUSIVE PRACTICES AND EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY FOR DEAF STUDENTS OF ART AND DESIGN HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA

Abstract

Mentors, role models, and real-world examples of success play an essential role in the classroom, bringing on not only knowledge but also important life lessons and values. Despite our nation's rich cultural diversity and creative talent, there are relatively few deaf artists who have attained national or international prominence. This dearth is largely attributable to the difficulties and obstacles that deaf individuals frequently face when pursuing a career in the arts. This lack of representation is a result of limited access to specialised education and training, communication barriers, and a lack of awareness about disability. Academic research has paid minimal attention to the experiences of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in visual arts higher education programmes, and it is yet to be studied in the Indian context. This doctoral thesis examines the experiences of students and graduates who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in various visual arts higher education institutions or settings. The study aims to understand how these experiences influence their learning process and artistic expression. Individual interviews with fifty DHH participants were conducted at three different institute settings that offer four-year programmes in visual arts, namely Mainstream, Rehabilitation and Special. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the interview data, whereas artwork data was subjected to assessment from field experts. The thesis analyses participants' demographic information and their school and transition to higher education experiences to provide a contextual understanding of their higher education experiences. The findings establish the diversity of the small population of this study in terms of their preferred mode of communication and the academic preparation they received in school. During school education, the lack of support services and oral mode of instruction created barriers to accessibility and learning. This has also impacted their command of reading and writing. Participants entered visual arts higher education programmes without adequate knowledge of the institute, support services, student enrolment ratio and course curriculum. Many participants enrolled in these programmes without their interest and choice. The thesis findings indicate that these barriers impact participants' higher education experiences.