A group of students and young professionals is trying to help their peers navigate Boston by putting on a different kind of student orientation.
On a recent weeknight at Boston University, nearly a dozen students from area colleges and universities turned out for the second Deaf Student Orientation.
“With professor-student interaction in the classroom covered, there are still … obstacles deaf students usually face in the college setting. Examples include … student social events, impromptu discussions in the cafeteria, professor/TA office hours,” said Tyler DeShaw, a graduate student at BU and one of the orientation organizers.
Speakers during the orientation, which included leaders from the state Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, told students about the services available to them like note-takers, interpreters for classes or performances and even events and athletic leagues geared toward deaf students.
Organizers said it’s difficult to know how many deaf students attend Boston-area universities, but estimated that there are dozens.
Sarah Honigfeld, a third-year student at Northeastern University, said she wasn’t aware that her school provided the note-takers until she came to last year’s orientation. She came to the orientation this year for a different reason.
“I don’t know many deaf kids my age, so this is nice … to come back and meet people in the deaf community,” she said.
