Sign Language Interpreter and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Service requests for events outside of the classroom should be submitted at least five (5) university business days in advance of the requested date. Every effort will be made to fulfill an accommodation request made in less than five (5) university business days.
The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center will coordinate sign language interpreters and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) on campus. We strive to provide the highest quality accommodations by hiring qualified sign language interpreters and transcriptionists. Students are encouraged to pre-enroll to ensure the availability of interpreters and real-time transcriptionists. It is important to provide schedule information to the ADRC as soon as possible and to communicate with ADRC staff about class schedules at pre-enrollment.
An interpreter is NOT responsible for the student’s class attendance, behavior, assignment, or test. The following information is provided to assist you in making the educational experience a positive one.
If you are speaking with a Deaf student, speak directly to them, ignoring the interpreter.
If the student does not understand a question or statement, rephrase it.
Provide opportunities for the student to participate in discussions or ask questions.
Pause the video/film when talking as the student can attend visually to only one source at a time.
Avoid speaking with your back to the class.
Do not speak louder than you normally would or exaggerate your words when speaking.
In class discussion, identify the speaker, then repeat questions/comments.
If you have a lab, items displayed, or handouts, please allow extra time for the Deaf student to locate what you are referring to before continuing on. The interpreter will need to identify the item you are speaking of, then will need a few more seconds to make the transition.
Student No Shows. The interpreter is required to wait 15 minutes outside of the classroom before returning to our office. If the student is late, the interpreter will enter after the student arrives.
The interpreter will hold all information regarding the student and the class in confidence.
The interpreter will transmit all remarks to the Deaf student and vice versa.
The interpreter may request copies of course material in advance to be prepared for interpreting. This can be emailed to the interpreter.
Every spoken word is streamed in real-time onto a laptop screen for the student to read. A CART provider will be provided remotely.
CART providers do not function as tutors or note-takers in class.
When addressing a student who is deaf/hard of hearing, speak directly to the student, not the CART provider. The CART provider is not part of the conversation and is not permitted to voice personal opinions or enter the conversation. The CART provider is required to type everything that is said; they do not screen information or leave things out at the speaker’s request.
CART providers will wait a minimum of 15 minutes for a class less than 1.5 hours long and 30 minutes for a class longer than 1.5 hours before leaving the assignment if the student has not shown or made prior contact that they will be arriving late.
Please give the CART provider a class schedule/outline, along with any handouts or specialized vocabulary related to the course.
If you or the student need services from the CART provider outside of class time for educational reasons (such as office hour visits), the student or instructor should coordinate with the ADRC.
If you are planning to show media in class or online (such as videos or audio files) that are not already accurately captioned, please contact the ADRC for assistance on how to appropriately caption your materials.
The Transmitter/Receiver is a wireless device consisting of a neck loop (worn by the student who is hard of hearing), on/off control
box, and a small microphone (worn by the instructor/speaker).
The Transmitter/Receiver system transmits the instructor/speaker’s voice directly into the student’s hearing aid. The instructor/speaker’s voice is not amplified to the rest of the class, nor is the instructor/speaker’s voice recorded by the Transmitter/Receiver in any way.
The ADRC will be asking the instructor to wear the on/off control box and the lapel microphone as an accommodation for a student. The on/off control box should be clipped onto your belt/waistband at the hip area, and the lapel microphone should be clipped to the general shirt collar area or jacket lapel (much like a traditional microphone). For those wearing a dress without a belt loop or waistband, please hold the on/off control box in your hand at all times when you are speaking.
Wearing these items as part of the Transmitter/Receiver system will allow the student who is hard of hearing to understand what you are saying and to hear you more effectively. If you have any guest speakers as part of the class lecture, please have them wear the on/off control box and lapel microphone as well.
The student who is hard of hearing will be responsible for bringing the Transmitter/Receiver system to class each day and for retrieving it from the instructor/speaker at the end of each class period.
