Services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

Faculty/Staff Information

Captioning (Speech-to-Text) Services

Speech-to-text service providers (“captionists”) provide real-time captioning during classes or events for students who do not use sign language or when exact word-for-word English is deemed essential. Captioning can be provided via several methods, such as word-for-word transcription (certified court reporter), or a more summarized captioning method such as C-Print.  The captionist most often is situated in the front of the classroom and near the instructor, with the captions being displayed either on a laptop in front of the deaf student, or occasionally on a wall screen. The student should have both the captionist and faculty member in their field of vision as visual cues are an important aspect of any communication.  A captionist is there to facilitate what is spoken in the class, by both faculty and other students, into a form of visual communication, for real-time access and interaction.

Captionists will need an additional chair and may need to be seated near a power source for their equipment.  It is requested that captionists be provided access to the course vocabulary, specifically names, or unusual or technical terms (copy of glossary or an extra desk copy of the text if available).  These resources are requested in advance - as they can program their captioning equipment to assure more accurate transcripts.  They also need a copy of the syllabus and calendar – such as cancelled class dates, tests dates, etc.  DSS can assist in obtaining an additional desk copy or in the purchase of an extra text, if necessary.  Students may be provided a copy of the written transcript.  DSS does request that the transcript not shared with others in the course, as it is part of a disability accommodation for a specific student.

Interpreting Services

• Interpreting is the process of transmitting spoken English into American Sign Language (ASL) and/or gestures for communication between Deaf and hearing individuals.  ASL Interpreters do NOT sign each word that is heard – they translate between two DIFFERENT languages, much like interpreters who work between spoken French and spoken English or spoken English and spoken Spanish.

• Sign language is no more universal than spoken languages. American Sign Language (ASL) is the language used by a majority of people in the Deaf community in the United States, most of Canada (LSQ is used in Quebec), certain Caribbean countries and areas of Mexico. Other areas of the world use their own sign languages, such as England (British Sign Language) and Australia (Australian Sign Language, a.k.a. Auslan).

• There are two types of interpretation: simultaneous and consecutive.
  • Simultaneous interpretation requires interpreters to listen and sign, or watch and speak, at the same time. The interpreter begins to convey a sentence in the target language while listening or watching the message being delivered in the source language. This type of interpreting happens most commonly in business meetings, college classes, or conferences.
  • In contrast, consecutive interpreting begins only after the speaker has spoken or signed a sentence or paragraph. Interpreters may need to take notes to assist in the process of creating a coherent accurate translation. This form of interpretation is used most often for witness testimony in legal settings or in a one-on-one meeting such as with a doctor, social worker, or counselor. It is the more accurate of the two types, as it allows more time for the interpreter to process the information and determine the most linguistically and culturally accurate manner to convey the concept in the target language.

   

• In both simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, the interpreter sits in proximity to the English speaker to allow the deaf person to see the interpreter as well as the facial and body expressions of the English speaker.

• Because of the need for a high degree of concentration in both types of interpretation and because of the physical demands of the work, interpreters often work in pairs if an assignment will last more than an hour, with each interpreting 20- to 30- minute segments.