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Physical, Sensory & Medical Disability Services
Services

Guidelines to Services - Interpreting, Note-taking and Real-Time Captioning

1. Service Mission

The goal of York's Physical, Sensory & Medical Disability Services (PSMDS) is to provide quality services that support and enhance student learning. To accomplish this requires a partnership between:

The following guidelines explain the roles and responsibilities of each partner of the support services team.

2. Student Responsibilities

2.1 Appointments

At the beginning of each semester, you should make an appointment to see the Coordinator of Physical, Sensory & Medical Disability Services (PSMDS) to review the details of your support service request and to discuss your communication needs and preferences.

You will be asked to complete timetable information on the Request for Term/Classroom Services form. Copies of this form are available at the PSMDS front desk. Required information includes:

  1. course and section (lecture, tutorial, lab etc.);
  2. days/time of class;
  3. location of class (lecture, tutorial, lab etc.); and
  4. support service provider preferences (if any).

PSMDS will make every effort to honour student preferences for support service providers.

2.2 Notification of Changes

Please ensure that you notify the Coordinator of PSMDS immediately of any changes in:

  1. Personal information: address, phone number, e-mail address.
  2. Class schedule: course, class time, room changes.

2.3 Letter of Accommodation

You may request a letter of accommodation for your course director. This letter explains that a student who uses support services (interpreting, computerized note-taking or real-time captioning) is enrolled in the course. The letter informs the course director of additional accommodations recommended by PSMDS (such as special examination arrangements). The accommodation letter is not mandatory; it is sent only at the request of the student.

Course directors may contact PSMDS if they have additional questions/concerns about the support services and/or the role of the service providers.

2.4 Acknowledgement and Undertaking Form

You will be requested to sign a form acknowledging that you are a recipient of interpreting, computerized note taking or real-time captioning service from PSMDS. (Refer to the Acknowledgement and Undertaking form.)

2.5 Attendance

Service providers are expected to arrive on time for class. You are responsible for notifying PSMDS if the service provider misses a class without notification.

If the service provider reports to the class and the student fails to show up, the service provider must wait twenty minutes to confirm the no-show. Support services will not be provided to a student who DOES NOT ATTEND CLASS, unless specific approval has been obtained in advance from the Coordinator of PSMDS.

Service providers are required to report student no-shows on their invoice submitted to PSMDS.

2.6 Absence

If you use support services and plan to be absent from a class, you must notify the Coordinator of PSMDS at least five working days in advance when possible.

(Note:PSMDS does not pay service providers who have received five working days notice.)

In the event of illness or emergency, the student should notify PSMDS as soon as possible.

If a student has three consecutive unexplained absences from class, the following steps will be taken:

  1. PSMDS staff will review the support services being provided.
  2. The student will meet with the Coordinator of PSMDS to discuss the situation.

2.7 Student Complaints about Support Services

In the case of student complaints about support services, the following steps should be followed:

  1. The student should first address their complaint to the support service provider to try to resolve the problem.
  2. If the problem cannot be resolved, the student should bring the situation to the attention of the Coordinator of PSMDS. Every reasonable effort will be made to resolve the situation fairly.

Interpreters, computerized note takers and real-time captioners are professionals whose work is guided by a code of ethics. A copy of the code of ethics may be obtained from PSMDS.

2.8 Request for Services Outside Class

Requests for support services for course-related activities such as meetings with course directors and other university personnel or viewing of films or videos can be arranged through PSMDS.

Fill out a Request for (Appointment) Support Services form, outlining the following information:

  1. Date and time of appointment and how long it will take;
  2. Location of appointment;
  3. General nature of appointment; and
  4. Language preference (ASL, Oral, English-based signing).

Provide as much advance notice as possible about an appointment, as this will increase our chances of being able to accommodate your request.

3.PSMDS Responsibilities

3.1 Scheduling

PSMDS will make every effort to schedule support service providers for the classroom in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The following factors will guide our selection of service providers:

  1. Consistency/continuity of service providers from class to class and term to term;
  2. Availability of service providers;
  3. Abilities and background of service providers;
  4. Student preferences for service providers; and
  5. Employment of interpreter teams as required.

3.2 Material Preparation

PSMDS will make every effort to have relevant materials (books, articles, handouts etc.) available to the support services provider prior to the contracted service to allow for adequate preparation.

3.3 Orientation Materials for Faculty Members

PSMDS will provide information to faculty members outlining the role of the service provider in the classroom.

3.4 Quality Control

PSMDS will solicit student feedback about the quality of support services and the student's overall satisfaction with the service.

3.5 Computerized Note-taking and Real-time Captioning Provision for Obtaining Class Notes

The support service provider may provide students with an unedited electronic copy of class notes on disk or via e-mail. Hard copies of class notes will be provided by PSMDS. You can request the desired format during the intake/request for service meeting with PSMDS staff.

3.6 Complaints

The Coordinator of PSMDS will respond to student and service provider complaints and act as a liaison between service providers, students and faculty members as required.

4. Support Service Provider Responsibilities

All service providers will generally follow the Code of Ethics of the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC). (The AVLIC Code of Ethics has been modified for this purpose to include computerized note takers and real-time captioners).

Service providers are expected to introduce themselves to the student's course director prior to the beginning of the first class and review the arrangements that are necessary to accommodate the service they provide.

Service providers are expected to prepare for each assignment. This includes pre-reading lecture material. Preparation may also include spending time with students to discuss issues related to conveying the course material in a clear, understandable manner.

Service providers are expected to report concerns immediately (any difficulties arising with a student or a course director or any other concern) so that the situation can be addressed.

4.1 Visual Language Interpreters

The general responsibilities of sign language interpreters are to:

  1. translate spoken information into sign language (ASL) or a sign system, depending on the preferences of the student, and
  2. translate sign language into spoken information for individuals not familiar with manual communication.

Sign language interpreters working in educational settings frequently work together in teams to provide course interpreting. Team interpreters are expected to discuss sign choices for course vocabulary to ensure consistency of interpretation.

Oral interpreters use non-vocalized lip movements, gestures and body language to convey spoken communication. This process facilitates communication for individuals who rely on speech reading in settings where "reading" the speaker is difficult.

4.2 Computerized Note Takers

The general responsibility of the computerized note taker is to summarize the speech of classroom activities to text on a monitor. The computerized note taker will ensure that the monitor/display is positioned for the optimum readability of the text by the student. Speakers should be identified in the texts that the computerized note taker produces. Students should be consulted for suggestions to ease their comprehension.

Students will decide on the format of their class notes from the options outlined under PSMDS responsibilities (above). The computerized note taker may provide PSMDS with an unedited electronic file on diskette as necessary.

4.3 Real-time Captioners

The general responsibility of the real-time captioner is to operate a computer-aided, real-time system that translates the speech of classroom activities to text. The real-time captioner will assure that the monitor/display is positioned for the optimum readability of the real-time text by the student. Real-time captioners are expected to regularly maintain and update their dictionaries for each course as appropriate. Speakers should be identified in the texts that the captioner produces. Students should be consulted for suggestions to ease their comprehension.

Students will decide on the format of their class notes from the options outlined under PSMDS responsibilities (above). The real-time captioner will provide PSMDS with an unedited electronic file on diskette as necessary.


Physical, Sensory & Medical Disability Services
N108 Ross Building
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Phone: 416-736-5140
TTY: 416-736-5263
Fax: 416-650-8068