Ongoing Accommodations
One-Time Requests
Best Practices
Closed Captioning

Sign Language Interpreter or Captionist as Ongoing Accommodations

Disability Services (DS) determines accommodations that promotes equal access to all university programs and activities for students with disabilities.

If you are a student in need of accommodations, please complete the registration process.

The criteria used by DS to determine if interpreting or real time captioning services is a reasonable accommodation for an individual student may include, but is not limited to:

  • The student's audiogram documenting the nature and severity of the hearing loss in order to receive services,
  • The students Certificate of Deafness (optional),
  • Age of onset of the student's hearing loss and type of loss,
  • The student's ability to benefit form accommodations such as preferential seating and amplification with an FM system,
  • The student's previous experience using sign language or oral interpreters, and
  • The student's English literacy skills.

Sign Language Interpreter or Captionist as a One-Time Request

The One-Time Request Form should be used for one-time special requests for Sign Language Interpreting or Captioning Services. 

Before submitting your One-Time Request Form, please review the Arrangement & Payment procedure to determine if Disability Services or the requesting department would pay for services.

Please allow at least 3 business days' advance notice for all requests.

Best Practices

Sign Language Interpreter FAQS

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  • The interpreters are contracted through Texas State approved vendors and hold state or national certification. Interpreters adhere to a Code of Professional Conduct set forth by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

  • For the interpreters to provide the most effective services, please add the interpreters to the Canvas class as an ‘observer’ so they may access the syllabus, handouts, links, and any other relevant course materials.

  • All questions or comments should be addressed directly to the student at your normal rate and volume of speech.  There is a slight delay when interpreting the spoken message.  Therefore, you may experience a delayed response to questions or feedback from the student.

  • 1-2 interpreters will be present during class. For in-person classes, the interpreters will stand in front of and in the direct sightline so that the interpreter and instructor are in the student’s line of sight.

  • In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Disability Services (DS) provides sign language interpreters, upon request, to facilitate communication for students who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use sign language to communicate.

Captionist FAQS

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  • Trained captionists are not instructional assistants or tutors, nor are they at liberty to participate in class discussion, interject opinion, or divulge any information about the student being served.

  • For captionists to provide the most effective services, please add the captionists to the Canvas class as an “observer” so they may access the syllabus, handouts, links, and any other relevant course materials.

  • All questions or comments should be addressed directly to the student at your normal rate and volume of speech. There may be a slight delay when typing the spoken message. Therefore, you may experience a delayed response to questions or feedback from the student.

  • 1-2 captionists will be present during class. Captionists will generally sit near the student, so the student may easily view the closed captions being provided. 

  • In accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Disability Services (DS) and Texas State University (TXST) are committed to the provision of auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Auxiliary aids and services include closed captioning (CC); however, in the event CC is not available, TXST will make every effort to provide an equally effective opportunity for participation.

Multi-Media Closed Captioning

Videos Purchased and Produced by TXST

In order to ensure that video tapes purchased by the university meet ADA compliance for CC, Alkek Library reviews each request for video purchase for CC capability and will purchase the CC version of a video if available. An inventory of all videos available through Alkek is maintained on its website. Specific details, including CC information when available, are provided on each video. In addition, videos produced by TXST for campus departments or programs will include CC or subtitles. CC is a reasonable accommodation for which a university department or program cannot claim financial hardship as justification for not providing the service.

For any additional questions or concerns

Please contact the Disability Services' Interpreter Coordinator, Deidra Flynn-Dobson.