Educational Heritage in the Childhood of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and its Influence on Participation in Adult Education

The deaf and hard-of-hearing population in Slovenia has a lower level of education than other vulnerable groups and any measures in this area call for a comprehensive analysis. The purpose of the paper was to investigate the participation in formal education of deaf and hard-of-hearing adults and their experiences in childhood, which (negatively) influenced further education. The paper combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies. We sent an online survey to all the providers of adult primary and secondary education in order to learn about the participation of this population in education. This was followed by a focus group of experts and interviews with deaf and hard-of- hearing adults. Three categories of reasons for non-participation in adult education have been identified: negative experiences of previous schooling (difficulties in achieving educational goals and feeling unaccepted), low support from family and the wider environment, and objective reasons (inadequate knowledge to continue schooling). We conclude the paper with some suggestions.