This paper discusses the capabilities of the Internet, including the ability to combine textual with visual presentation information, that make it an especially useful learning tool for students with hearing impairments. Instructional design recommendations are made for effective computer-assisted lessons that will help to develop and expand student concepts and literacy skills. The importance of allowing students to select World Wide Web sites and resources that present information in an effective manner individually suited to them is also emphasized. Three steps are outlined for creating a lesson to develop literacy skills using the visual format of computers: (1) a needs assessment phase to define and specify the project, taking into account the students' needs as well as classroom and scheduling constraints; (2) a design phase; and (3) a development and implementation phase, which transfers the ideas to a useful format. Different types of visual information that can be found on the Internet and the English literacy skills that are supported by this information are listed. Finally, the benefits of lessons which incorporate a variety of visual information using the Internet are described. (CR)