Interpreters/captioners are an accommodation provided to a student to access the spoken word. Interpreter/captioners act as a conduit for the student and the professor/lecturer. Professional/ethical standards require that interpreter/captioners not actively participate or monitor students.

Sign language interpreters/captioners provide communication access for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students and hearing people who do not sign.

Interpreting/Captioning is not verbatim.

Lag time is inherent when interpreting/captioning. The interpreter/captioner will be a few words behind the speaker. Therefore, when posing questions extra time is required to give full access to Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students.

Team interpreting/captioning, (i.e. providing two interpreters/captioners for a course/lecture) is appropriate when lectures exceed one hour in length, are complex in nature or when there are several presenters.

Captioning is not a substitute for class attendance.

Interpreters/captioners do not function as aids, tutors or participants in classes.

Transcripts are not shared with other students; they are an accommodation and not for general usage. This is a critical issue as it relates to academic ownership. DSS reserves the right to terminate provision of course transcripts in the event they are shared with other students.

As with all technology, malfunctions may occur with the computers used for captioning.

Rights and Responsibilities

Disability Support Services Responsibilities

Determine if speech-to-text captioning is an appropriate accommodation for an individual student.

Educate and consult with faculty about speech-to-text captioning.

Hire, train and evaluate the captionists.

Captionist Responsibilities

Obtain lists of vocabulary and technical terms specific to the course.

Make sure the equipment is in working order.

Meet with the student and the instructor before class begins in order to clarify the procedure.

Faculty Responsibilities

Provide the captionist with a list of vocabulary and technical terms specific to the course.

Be sure videos are captioned, and films are scripted.

Maintain a classroom environment in which the captionist can hear what is spoken.

Student Responsibilities

Discuss the use of speech-to-text captioning with the DSS Director and Lead Interpreter.

Notify DSS of any schedule changes.

Follow the speech-to-text captioning policy and procedures as outlined in this document.

Report any problems to DSS immediately, so appropriate steps can be taken to correct the situation.