Driver’s education teacher Beth Chadwick shrugs and laughs when asked about her courage level. “I’ve got a brake on my side of the car, and I make use of it!”
At Iowa School for the Deaf, she has taught subjects from English to graphic arts but says driver’s education may be her favorite because of what it does for a student’s sense of independence.
Chadwick says learning to drive is a milestone many of her students feared they’d never reach. Parents are more apprehensive to teach their child to drive when language barriers exist between them.
Most parents of ISD students are hearing and may not communicate with their child in sign language to the depth necessary to understand rules of the road. Chadwick has students who have never sat in the driver’s seat at home before because parents are hesitant. “How do you give feedback to a child who can’t hear you?” she said.
Language barriers are generally the largest hurdle to clear in earning a driver’s permit for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, regardless where they attend school.
“Knowing vocabulary and concepts like ‘lane’ and ‘parallel parking’ can make the difference between success and failure when trying to get a driving permit,” Chadwick said.
“I teach the signs I’ll use before we ever go out on the road. When we get into the car, I reach into their field of vision with my left hand to demonstrate, ‘Stay in your lane. Turn left. Slow down.”
It’s different at Iowa School for the Deaf, because Chadwick explains unfamiliar terminology and gets concepts across that might have been difficult to grasp in another setting. Some vocabulary and legal terminology is not accessible to her students, she said.
“How to read a ticket, vehicle registration- explaining all this takes a lot more ‘scaffolding’ than a hearing student might need,” she said. “I break it down to the most basic elements, and go step-by-step with visual supports so they make the connection.”
Chadwick is authorized to administer the Iowa Driver’s permit test, which is another plus for novice drivers at ISD.
She helps students understand the questions in American Sign Language. After passing the permit test at ISD, a student’s home Department of Transportation issue the permit, and the learner is now ready for the state’s required six hours of road experience. Or more.
Chadwick goes at the student’s pace, which can mean the school’s driver’s ed vehicle, a 2023 Chevy Malibu, can circle the school’s campus streets for as many lessons as needed until the student is ready for more.
“When we move onto city streets, we still have safe places to practice left and right turns into correct lanes, and to accelerate to speed. Before you know it, the students are successfully merging onto the interstate,” said Chadwick.
“The goal of education is to achieve as much independence as possible, to become contributing members of the community,” she said. “I’m so grateful to help our kids achieve that.”
