Serving the second largest deaf and hard-of-hearing student population in CUNY, the Office of AccessABILITY offers a variety of support services to accommodate students while participating in a mainstream environment. We also aim to assist faculty and staff so that they can offer an accessible environment and make the classroom experience comfortable and rewarding for everyone involved.
The role of the sign-language interpreter is to facilitate communication. Conversations be-tween you and a Deaf/HH student are the same as with a student who is not Deaf; speak to the student directly, and the interpreter will take care of the rest. If you need to meet with your student, you should arrange to have an interpreter. Availability is sometimes limited but the Office will try to accommodate your schedule.
If you use Blackboard, the staff interpreters may request to be added to your roster. This will enable them to familiarize themselves with field-specific content and reduce the likelihood of translation errors. Per diem interpreters do not have access to Hunter’s network at this time.
Captioning: A student may opt for using C-print captioning. A captionist uses a laptop to transcribe all proceedings in the class, which are then displayed on the student’s laptop.
FM System: If the student uses sound amplification, they may request that you use an FM system to allow them to hear you whether you are standing directly in front of them, walking around the room, or have your back to the class while writing on the board.
Deaf/HH students have a right to testing accommodations, which include testing in a controlled environment and additional time allotted for a quiz or exam. The student will present a Testing Accommodations form for you to fill out and sign.
For all questions and concerns regarding Interpreting Services, please consult our Office during the office hours at 212-650-3231.
Every subject has field-specific vocabulary. Providing the Deaf/HH student and interpreters with a vocabulary list is extremely helpful when developing field-specific equivalency.
Allow the Deaf/HH student to decide if s/he wants to speak or sign with English interpretation.
If video/DVD presentations are part of the curriculum, it is advisable to make arrangements to use captioned material. Alert the interpreter in advance if captioned material is not available so that s/he can provide appropriate access for the Deaf/HH student.
Please let us know if a student is having serious difficulty and needs to catch up with the course work.
The accommodations listed in this brochure are among those identified in Section 504 of the National Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which relate to the nondiscrimination of students with disabilities in post-secondary settings.
You and the students may want to discuss the options that would best meet these accommodation requirements. The Office of AccessABILITY can also provide assistance in this area.
Do not hesitate to contact us with your questions and concerns.