This project investigated the use of alternate methods of classroom interaction and communication to foster collaborative learning in diverse classrooms. Deaf, hard-of-hearing (DHH), and hearing students taking a graduate course in teacher education participated in lab sessions where interactions occurred via articulated speech and/or sign language and text-based chat interactions. The students interacted further using a collaborative tool to co-construct a group document. Results suggest that including this kind of tool in the classroom can significantly increase access to collaborative learning opportunities for students with a variety of special needs. While this study used DHH and hearing students who worked together in groups as the test case, the findings may be applicable to other groups with communication or language difficulties.