Deaf or hard-of-hearing students are influenced by four cultural groups: family, neighborhood, community, and school. Presents a framework for exploring the personal cultures of rural hearing-impaired students; strategies for gathering cultural information; and steps by which a teacher, with the help of cultural brokers, can develop appropriate…

Addresses differences between rural and urban communities in terms of family characteristics, home life, cultural values, social norms, and economic structures. Implications for rural special education include understanding the diversity of rural communities, developing relationship-based services, and considering ecocultural factors when…