As many universities transitioned to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the distance learning environment presented various accessibility challenges for deaf and hard-of-hearing students (DHH). In art and design higher education programs, the transition from face-to-face learning to virtual learning is difficult for students in general, and even more difficult for students with hearing loss. Art and design educators have explored approaches to effectively compensate for these challenges and optimize the distance learning experiences for DHH students. This paper aims to investigate these challenges and attempts to explore the international best practices in distance education for deaf learners. Action research is used as a methodology to guide the professional development of art and design educators on ways to refine and hone their online teaching approaches. Ten DHH students (5 Males and 5 females) participated in the action research for the needs of this study. Their challenges, experiences, preferences, needs and artworks were analysed in an attempt to optimize their online learning outcomes and provide recommendations that will lead to the implementation of effective teaching strategies and the design of appropriate e-learning environments for hearing-impaired art and design students. The preliminary findings of the study revealed that the main challenges DHH students and their instructors faced were communication barriers and misinterpretation of tasks, which led to difficulties in fulfilling the course intended outcomes. The recommendations formulated on the basis of the findings are to adapt the intended learning outcomes and teaching approaches to optimize the learning experiences of the DHH students.