Competence in written English is essential for success at work in the United States. For deaf and hard-of-hearing people, especially for those who do not use spoken language, the ability to express themselves in writing with competence assures clear communication with hearing people. However, learning how to do so presents challenges for both deaf students and those who instruct them. More than twenty-five thousand deaf students are enrolled in postsecondary programs around the United States, many of them community colleges. The challenges faced by this special population of college students in writing clear English must be understood in order to appreciate the surrounding issues that affect how instructors can fairly evaluate the writing of their deaf students. This author contends that instructors should consider two important guides when evaluating deaf students' texts: to establish reasonable parameters for outside assistance and to consider meaning over mode. These guides will allow the instructors to equitably assess their students' progress toward clear written expression. (Contains 1 note.)