On the Coexistence of Captions and Sign Language as Accessibility Solutions in Educational Settings.

Abstract

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> In mainstream educational settings, deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students may have limited or no access to the spoken lectures and discussions that are central to the hearing majority classroom. Yet, engagement in these educational and social exchanges is fundamental to their learning and inclusion. Two primary visual accessibility solutions can support this need: real-time speech-to-text transcriptions (i.e., captioning) and high-quality sign language interpreting. Their combined use (or coexistence), however, raises concerns of competition between concurrent streams of visual information. This article examines the empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of using both captioning and sign language simultaneously in educational settings. Specifically, it investigates whether this combined approach leads to better or worse content learning for DHH students, when compared to using either visual accessibility solution in isolation. <b>Methods:</b> A review of all English language studies in peer-reviewed journals until August 2025 was performed. Eligible studies used an experimental design to compare content learning when using sign language and captions together, versus using sign language or captions on their own. <b>Databases Reviewed:</b> EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE, and PsycInfo. <b>Results:</b> A total of four studies met the criteria for inclusion. This limited evidence is insufficient to decide on the coexistence of captioning and sign language. Yet, it underscores the potential of captions for content access in education for DHH, even when sign language is available. <b>Conclusions:</b> The present article reveals the lack of evidence in favor or against its coexistence with sign language. With the aim to be constructive for future research, the discussion offers considerations on the attentional demands of simultaneous visual accessibility resources, the diversity of DHH learners, and the impact of current and forthcoming technological advancements.