The 1980 Senate hearing focuses on federal programs for deaf and hearing impaired students. Thirteen prepared statements are presented from representatives of federal agencies (National Institute of Handicapped Research, Department of Education, and National Institute of Health); private associations (the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf, Consumers Organization for the Hearing Impaired, Inc., and National Information Center for Quiet); and Gallaudet College. Statements touch on such issues as technology; hearing aid improvement; programs for the research and training centers; interpreter training; federal expenditures; vocational training; independent living; captioning; the impact of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act); multihandicapped hearing impaired students; accessibility; oral interpreting; and directions for future research. (CL)