Gallaudet Case Study

Two masked individuals collaborate in front of a whiteboard with hand-drawn room layouts labeled “COMMUNITY” and “SINGLE.” One person gestures at the drawings while the other looks on thoughtfully, holding a laptop displaying an image of a cylindrical structure. Blue handwritten notes mention tactile aids, ceiling projections, and temperature control.

Building connections to improve health services for deaf communities

Challenge

How might we bridge health service silos and create effective communication channels that will best serve deaf communities?

Context

Outdated systems create unequal access to health care for deaf, deaf/blind, and hard of hearing communities. A team of four learners in the M.A. in Design focused on Health program collaborated with Gallaudet University to design a more welcoming, positive experience for deaf communities in partnership with the school’s Student Health Services.

While this challenge was tailored to the individual collaboration between Gallaudet and Student Health Services, the team’s vantage on how much of our world and systems are designed around the assumption of hearing, sight and full mobility inspires utility in how we approach design in health.

Approach

Break down the larger system challenge into tangible opportunities for change and develop solutions that address multiple opportunities.

Insights

  1. Gallaudet values connection and collaboration, but their current relationship with Student Health Services did not reflect that value based on its disjointed nature and confusion over roles and protocols.
  2. Certain student populations misused Student Health Services, and long wait times were often due to overcrowding during lunch.
  3. High schoolers at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf tended to report symptoms that correlate with poor sleep hygiene and burnout. However, as the system was designed, there were no other options where students might turn.
  4. The systems were highly outdated, including how students made appointments, which added additional barriers to serving the intended communities.
Graphic for “Prototype 1: Healthy Bison,” a student-oriented wellness service at Gallaudet University. The diagram shows a bison silhouette over a yellow semicircle with the program name. Arrows connect “Student Trust & Engagement (HWP)” and “Clinical Capabilities & Expertise (SHS)” to the Healthy Bison logo, emphasizing the collaboration between the Health and Wellness Program and Student Health Services. A caption explains the goal of creating a healthier campus community.
Slide titled “Prototype 2: SHS Connect.” On the left, white text on a dark blue background describes SHS Connect as an app for managing appointments, calendars, telehealth, and the Healthy Bison Program. On the right, an iPhone mockup displays the app interface, with options like “Deaf Friendly Providers Near Me,” “Reserve a Wellness Space,” “Counseling & Psychological Services,” “Ombuds,” and “Office of Students with Disabilities.”
Slide titled “Prototype 3: The Nest.” On the left, white text on a dark blue background outlines The Nest as a decompression space, check-in point between dorm staff and students, a resource hub for stress reduction, and a potential collaboration with university design/media students. On the right, a student in a “Texas” cap sketches room layout concepts with labeled areas and notes like “Tactile sensory feedback” and “Lighting cues” on a whiteboard.

Outcome

Improved health services for deaf communities.

The team delivered a shared mental model of the problems that exist. Each administrator and stakeholder offered insight into a small part of the whole picture but had never seen a larger representation of the systems-level problem. Facilitating this wider understanding was one of the great successes of this project, allowing the Gallaudet team to relate to one another in new ways.

The design team also applied service design in creating a smartphone application giving students an accessible method of making an appointment, finding available services, and ultimately seeking health care. In addition, the team leveraged experience design to create a physical space that would supplement the real needs of the resident high school students at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf. The design modifications included lighting changes, sense-engaging textures, and an ambiance of tranquility.

The team strengthened health screening efforts, furthered education on health-related topics, and connected Gallaudet students interested in health professions with deaf or signing mentors who can guide them into the professional space.

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Learn More

Find out more about Gallaudet University.

Design Team

Nikolette Amoros

Sadiya Hinedi

Jocelyn Suarez

Luke Thomson

Project Summary

Students partnered with Gallaudet University to co-design improvements to health services for deaf communities, addressing gaps in communication and care access. Their design interventions included a smartphone app for scheduling, sensory-friendly space enhancements, and a shared systems map to align stakeholders—fostering trust, clarity, and more inclusive experiences across student health services.

Project Contributors

Gallaudet University

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