Students with cochlear implants’ experiences of built, sound, and social school environments

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students with cochlear implants (CIs) are increasingly attending mainstream schools but often encounter social barriers with peers. This study explores how environmental factors and individual adaptation strategies shape these social experiences, interviewing 13 CI users (aged 17-27) who attended mainstream education. Thematic content analysis revealed four themes and 12 sub-themes around social barriers: difficulties socializing, sound and built environment barriers, social environment barriers, and adaptive strategies. Findings show participants developed many effective internal and external adaptations to manage barriers, yet often at the cost of their comfort, energy, or social safety, thus requiring additional strategies to maintain balance. This highlights social and emotional aspects of inclusion and asymmetric distributions of responsibility. Findings also highlighted school design choices and cultural/social practices that could shape the cost of adapting, underscoring the need for structural changes in educational environments that facilitate more equitable social access for DHH students.