Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services

Services

All students using interpreter and/or captioning services must be registered with Student Disability Services and submit the appropriate documentation. When you have completed the intake process, students must submit the Accommodation Request Form and you also must provide the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services a copy of your course schedule. An electronic notification letter will be sent to you and your instructor after the request is made during the fall, spring and summer semesters. It is incumbent upon both the student and the instructor to meet and/or discuss the contents of the notification letter in order to determine the best way to implement accommodation in each of your courses. This procedure must be completed each semester in order to receive interpreter or captioning services.

Note: Students should register for classes as soon as possible (see priority registration) to ensure services are scheduled in a timely manner. Switching sections or making schedule changes may result in a delay of services. However, when a change does occur, immediately inform the Coordinator of D/HH Services as quickly as possible to avoid interruption or delay of services.

Student Disability Services (SDS) will provide sign language interpreter or captioning services for classes, related academic requirements, meetings, SI sessions, advising, and non-academic out-of-class activities sponsored by the University. Interpreter/captioning services are in high demand and the availability of qualified staff is limited. Providing these services requires advance planning and cooperation from the student to ensure that effective services are provided in a timely and cost effective manner. Students must fill out the Interpreter/Captionist Request Form 3 business days before the event. Anything less than 3 business days will be considered a "last minute request". Every effort will be made to fill the request but there is no guarantee of Interpreter/Captionist availability.

Note: UTSA does not provide interpreters/captionists for parties and other social events. All interpreting done outside of class time must be requested and approved through the Coordinator of D/HHS

Cancellations

Students are responsible for notifying SDS 24 hours in advance if they will not be in class. If a class is missed three times without a 24 hour notice, interpreter/captionist services will be suspended until the student has met with the Coordinator of D/HH Services. An exception will be made in cases where failure to provide timely notice was beyond the student's control. If a student does not show up at the beginning of class, the interpreter/captionist will wait for 15 minutes before leaving. This will be counted as a No-show even if the student shows up for the class after the interpreter/captionist leaves.

  • 1st No-Show: We understand that conflicts can arise at the last minute.

  • 2nd No-Show: REMINDER.

  • 3rd No-Show: HOLD; Interpreter/Captionist services for that specific class will be suspended until you meet with the Coordinator of D/HH Services to reinstate services.

You will be notified in writing when you have a HOLD for services. Contact the SDS office immediately to schedule a meeting. At that meeting we will discuss the policy and allow you the opportunity to explain your situation. Special circumstances, such as serious illness or family emergency, will be taken into consideration. After the meeting, services may be reinstated for that class. If you have questions about the No-show policy, please feel free to meet with the Coordinator of D/HH Services.

In regards to confidentiality , UTSA Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication and the Principles for Interpreter Behavior as outlined in the BEI handbook and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the professional standards set by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Code of Professional Conduct - Tenet 1.0: Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication, share assignment-related information only on a confidential and "as-needed" basis (e.g. supervisors, interpreter team members, members of the educational team, hiring entities). UTSA Captionists are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and keep all assignment related information confidential.

Assistive Listening Devices

Students with hearing impairment may request the use of an Assistive Listening Device (ALD) for use in the classroom environment. The ALD utilizes a microphone and transmitter unit (worn by the instructor) and a receiver and headset (worn by the student). The instructor’s speech is transmitted to the student’s receiver unit (via FM radio signal) and the student has the ability to control volume and other settings. These devices must be checked out at the beginning of the semester and the student is responsible for the equipment. Battery replacement is the student’s responsibility during the semester. The devices must be returned to the SDS Office and checked back in with the Coordinator of D/HH Services at the end of the semester to ensure the device will work for the next semester.