Barriers and facilitators to educational inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in mainstream educational settings: a scoping review.

This review explores factors influencing the inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in schools, with a defined focus on students who use spoken language and listening technologies. A comprehensive search strategy using the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) mnemonic was applied across three databases alongside grey literature. Thirty-three studies from 21 countries identified factors influencing DHH inclusion in mainstream schools across four domains: student-, teacher-, environmental-, and family-related factors. Factors addressed in the literature included teachers' training and capacity (n = 27), communication and language proficiency (n = 23), resource availability (n = 21), physical environment (n = 19), and parental involvement (n = 15). Analysis revealed that inclusion represents a developmental trajectory shaped by accumulating facilitators and barriers across time and contexts. The facilitators worked synergistically: early identification enabled communication development, teacher preparation facilitated methodological accommodations, supportive environments fostered participation, and family-school partnerships provided advocacy. The analysis fosters the need for a holistic approach to support the meaningful inclusion of DHH children in inclusive educational settings, particularly within a spoken-language-dominant educational environment. By addressing interconnected factors, stakeholders could work collaboratively to enhance inclusivity for all students in inclusive education.