Deaf Experience Checklist for School Leaders

Deaf experience and lived knowledge should shape a school's decisions from the start. Use this checklist to recognize the moments when involving Deaf staff and community members matters most: reviewing instruction, planning professional development, responding to student feedback, shaping schoolwide norms and events, making resource and policy decisions, engaging families, and hiring. For each area it names when to bring Deaf expertise in and why it strengthens access, equity, and quality. Use it to make involving Deaf experience a consistent leadership habit.