Communication Access E-Forms

Responsibilities for using Sign Language Interpreting, Real-Time Captioning and Cued Speech Transliteration

Priority Registration

Due to the limited availability of interpreters, cued-speech transliterators and captionists, students using this accommodation are given priority registration. Students who do not follow the deadline for schedules and/or submit schedule changes after the due date without prior notification are at risk for beginning classes without these accommodations. This is especially critical after the semester has begun as the pool of service providers dwindles. This also applies to adding an eight-week or six-week class to the existing schedule. All accommodation requests for classes should be made in ARConnect.

Deadlines: If schedules are turned in after the priority registration period, the Accessibility Resource Center cannot guarantee these accommodations for the beginning of the semester but will attempt to accommodate as close to the first day of class as possible on a first-come, first-served basis. We also cannot guarantee the service provider will be consistent throughout the semester with last-minute changes (meaning multiple providers may be used).

Accommodations and Adjustments (including online learning)

Schedule Changes

If students need to make a schedule change (moving to a different section, adding a class, or dropping a class), the student should contact their Access Specialist before making the change to ensure the availability of accommodations. Any changes students make to their schedule without prior notification to ARC (Accessibility Resource Center) may result in not having accommodations available for classes. Students are also expected to change their accommodation requests in ARConnect upon approval from the Access Specialist.

Courses, Accommodations and Online Learning

Students should request accommodations for online (synchronous and asynchronous), as well as face to face courses. Online course content, meetings and media may need to be made accessible. Students will need to work with instructors, service providers, and ARC to determine the appropriate accommodations for all aspects of the online course.

In scenarios where the class is face-to-face but recorded, and the student wishes to watch the recording, Kaltura provides automatic captions for these recordings. However, ARC informs instructors of the inaccuracy in automatic captions and asks that they submit requests to add professional captioning. If a student uses interpreters only, the student can select Interpret all media in ARConnect, when selecting class accommodations, and have the recording interpreted instead of captioned. The student should speak with their instructors about submitting any media accessibility requests as early as possible.

Changes to Course Structure

The Accessibility Services Managers schedule service providers according to class details in ARConnect. If a class structure is different than what appears in PAWS/ARConnect, it is the student’s responsibility to notify their ARC Access Specialist of those changes. Additionally, if the instructor adjusts/changes the course during the semester, those changes need to be communicated to the Access Specialist as soon as possible.

Internship/Practicum/Service Learning/Student Teaching

Students are required to let their Access Specialist know of their participation in any internships, field work, service learning, student teaching or practicums. The Accessibility Services Specialists also consider internships and fieldwork placements in the same light as regularly scheduled courses at UWM. All the responsibilities and policies regarding use of accommodations in these environments remain in effect for all students who earn course credit in field placement and internship programs.

Working with Interpreters and Captionists

Students should share their communication preferences with their interpreter(s) and captioning staff (seating, voicing, etc.). Online learning requires intentional communication between the student and service provider. Communication should include details of plan for platform usage (Collaborate Ultra, Teams, Zoom, etc.).

If a student has concerns about an interpreter or a captionist that cannot be resolved directly, they should contact the Accessibility Services Managers: Amy Hogle (interpreters) at hogle@uwm.edu or Nicole Stelzner (captioning, cued-speech) at nicolems@uwm.edu.

• UWM Code of Conduct: The University strives to create a positive, safe, and healthy environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Service providers are considered academic staff and are subject to the same policies and procedures for all UWM faculty and staff. Students and staff are always expected to treat each other with respect and professionalism. In the event a conflict occurs between students and their service providers, it is necessary to address the conflict respectfully and professionally. The Accessibility Services Managers and ARC Access Specialists are available to assist if needed. Any harassment, bullying, disorderly conduct, disruptive behavior, or any other behaviors towards service providers outlined in UWM’s Non-Academic Conduct policy will be reported to the Dean of Student’s office.

• First Day of Class: Students enrolled in synchronous online courses should arrive/log in to the virtual platform a few minutes early the first day of class and meet with the service provider regarding specifics of the class. Students enrolled in face-to-face courses should arrive at the classroom a few minutes early to meet with their service provider and discuss communication specifics.

• Cancellations and delays: Students should use dhhnoshow@uwm.edu to let the office know if they are planning to arrive later than 10 or 15 minutes or not attending class at all. The service provider will wait 10 minutes for a 50-minute class and 15 minutes for classes longer than an hour. The same timelines apply for virtual classes. The assigned provider will leave/log out if the student does not arrive at class within these timelines.

• Interpreter/Captionist Not in Class: Email dhhnoshow@uwm.edu if the interpreter or captionist does not show-up for class. We will investigate and send a service provider as quickly as possible. Should a provider be unavailable, we will work with the student and instructor to make up for missing material.

Accommodation Requests Outside of Regular Class Time

All academic related requests will be coordinated through the ARC office. If students need accommodations for any academic-related meeting outside of class (Advising or office hours), lecture, or class related activity, students must complete the campus request form in ARConnect. Log into ARConnect , scroll to “communication access” in the left margin, and the request form in the upper right corner. Please use the appropriate form for campus or academic requests.

All extra-curricular (unrelated to a class activity) requests should be made to the department or organization hosting the activity or event. Please refer the department to the ARC Website for information on how to obtain interpreting or captioning services.

Questions about Class Information

Students need to communicate with their course instructors and/or teaching assistants for any questions related to the class. The service provider is there to assist with communication as requested. It can be beneficial to meet with the instructor outside of class time, either during the instructor’s office hours or by making an appointment with the instructor. Students can ask if the service provider if they are available to meet with the instructor or teaching assistant before or after class. For appointments longer than 10-15 minutes, please fill out the Student Services Request Form in ARConnect.

Academic Advisor

It is the students’ responsibility to establish an on-going relationship with an academic advisor. This should be done during the first semester at the university to access information for appropriate course selection during the students’ academic career at UWM. The student’s Access Specialist will assist them with accommodation-related issues but will not assist in choosing classes. To schedule a meeting with the academic advisor, students will need to plan and complete the Student Services Request Form in ARConnect.

Visual Information

Service providers are not note takers and will not record information that is presented non-verbally (i.e. writing on the white board). Students are encouraged to obtain notetakers for each class to assist with summarizing the instructor’s message and to capture information displayed on the white board, etc.

Transportation Policy

Some courses or course assignments may be held off-campus (i.e. not on UWM’s main campus, such as for internships, field placements, group meetings, courses and other placements that may occur off-campus). UWM provides a shuttle to some off-campus sites. If a shuttle is not available, students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the off-campus site. ARC service providers do not transport DHH students to or from campus or other sites.

Classroom Observations

Student interns and/or staff members learning interpreting, speech-to-text or cued speech may occasionally observe the service providers in a class. Service providers are required to ask the student and instructor prior to class if they are comfortable with a student or staff observing. Only ARC staff may ask if student interns, or staff members can observe a class. If students receive requests from other UWM students or community members, the Accessibility Services Managers should be informed. If a problem develops while an intern is working with a service provider in class, the student should inform the service provider directly so that the situation can be resolved.

Confidentiality

Service Providers may at times need to share classroom accommodation related issues with other campus staff on a “need to know” basis. On a regular basis, service providers adopt a team approach in the collaboration and sharing of work-related information. As a result, there will be times when ARC staff share information, that is typically confidential, about students and work experiences or challenges for the purpose of improving the quality of ARC services for DHH students.

Professionalism

Service providers hired by UWM (whether they are staff or LTE’s) are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the professional standards of their professional organization highlighted below.

• For students using interpreters: UWM sign language interpreters are expected to adhere to the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (RID (Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf)) Code of Professional Conduct Tenet 1.0: Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication. Illustrative behaviors 1.1 states, 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.)
• For students using captioning services: UWM captionists are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the professional standards set by the National Court Reporting Association (NCRA) or the C-Print standards established by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (i.e., maintain confidentiality, relay the message faithfully, refrain from interjecting individual opinions, and function in a manner appropriate to the situation.)
• For students using cued-speech transliterators: The role of the cued-speech transliterator requires study and practice to obtain the nationally recognized standards set forth in the Code of Conduct (Fleetwood and Metzger, 1989) and the Code of Professional Conduct (The National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, 2005). These include: Demonstrate and implement ongoing reverence for the preservation and promotion of complete and equal access and adhere to the ethical standards of transliterating for deaf/hard-of-hearing consumers.

Unreported No-Show/Excessive Absenteeism

If students do not plan to attend their scheduled class, students must email dhhnoshow@uwm.edu. Please include the name of the class, the section, service provider’s name(s) and if accommodations should be cancelled for part of or for the entire day. This is necessary for ARC to continue to provide quality, consistent student accommodations while controlling costs.

Unreported No-Shows

An unreported no-show is when the service provider show up for class, but the student does not and did not email dhhnoshow@uwm.edu. The procedure is as follows:

• First unreported no-show: students will receive an email from their Access Specialist alerting them that the first no-show has occurred.
• Second unreported no-show: After two no-shows per class/per semester, students will receive a second email from their Access Specialist indicating the assigned accommodations are suspended until the student meets with their Access Specialist. After the meeting, accommodations will be reinstated.
• If students do not make their no-show appointment, ARC will cancel the assigned accommodation until the student meets with their Access Specialist.

Excessive Absenteeism

In rare situations with a pattern of excessive absences, students are required to meet virtually with their Access Specialist. Depending on the situation, the accommodations plan change at the discretion of ARC.

Responsible Use of Services

UWM has a responsibility to use campus resources appropriately. Students who begin using services in one modality may need to change to a different modality based on their current situation/need and should communicate these changes with their Access Specialist. However, these changes should be made with the understanding that they are infrequent and necessary. Due to limitations in our resources, we cannot always accommodate repeated modality changes and may need to discuss other options with the student.

Using Real-Time Captioning Services

Responsibilities for Students Using Real-Time Captioning Services for Synchronous and Face-To-Face Classes

Students are expected to maintain their device’s (laptop/tablet) connection with their captionist. The captionist will cease captioning if the student is not actively connected, and will continue captioning once the student reconnects. If there is a connectivity issue, the student should reach out to the captionist immediately to troubleshoot.

1. Connectivity with C-Print Software: To connect virtually, students will need to connect to UWM’s Global Protect. This will allow students to connect with the captionist as if they are in the same location. C-Print will not work properly without taking this step.
2. Laptop and/or Tablet Usage: The captionist will stream captioning to the student’s personal electronic device through the process discussed above. Students who do not have access to a laptop, computer, or electronic device for personal use should contact their Access Specialist to discuss options.
3. If the student isn’t unable to connect: Please contact the captionist through email or other established means. In the event connection fails on the student’s end, the captionist will continue to transcribe the event.
4. Transcript: In the virtual environment, transcripts can be downloaded and saved by the student on their personal device. In the event the transcript is not available to download, students should request the captionist upload their transcript to ARConnect prior to disconnecting the session. Transcripts are not intended to replace notetaking. Students using speech-to-text services are strongly encouraged to take their own notes or use notetakers. Captionists will upload transcripts to ARConnect within 24 hours after class has ended. It is the students’ responsibility log into ARConnect and download the transcript. The class transcript is for the student’s eyes only. Transcripts are not to be shared with any other persons without prior approval from the student’s Access Specialist or the Accessibility Services Managers. Captionists will not re-share the transcript from previous classes without prior approval from the student’s Access Specialist.