Information and Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Know Your Rights Under the Law

• The Current ADA Regulation
• What are public or private college-university’s responsibilities to students with disabilities?
• Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Video

Assistive Listening Devices

The Role of Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) In the Classroom

What are Assistive Listening Devices?

Many students who use hearing aids successfully in quiet settings still struggle to follow conversations in large college classrooms. In a typical lecture hall, an instructor’s voice must compete with background noise, room echo, and distance. This poor room acoustics, combined with hearing loss, makes it difficult to understand what is being said.
Most ALDs solve this problem by placing a transmitter and microphone right near the instructor’s mouth. This microphone captures the audio directly and streams the speaker’s voice straight to a wireless receiver worn by the student. By catching the sound directly at the source, ALDs deliver clear audio over long distances, eliminate echoes, and cut through surrounding background noise.

What are the benefits of using Assistive Listening Devices?

Compared to personal hearing aids alone, the primary acoustic advantage of an ALD is the close placement of the instructor’s microphone. This setup offers several benefits:

• Constant Volume: The instructor’s voice stays at a clear, consistent level, even if they move around the room or stand far away from you.
• Less Background Noise: The system cuts out classroom distractions like moving chairs, humming fans, or side conversations.
• Better Academic Focus: A clean, quiet listening environment makes it easier to focus on your schoolwork and succeed in class.

Many different types of assistive listening devices work well in college classrooms. Because every device has unique features and no single technology works for everyone, we recommend consulting with an audiologist to find the perfect match for your personal hearing needs.

Resources

National Deaf Center Website: Assistive Technology

Captioned Media

Captioning provides a visual text representation of the audio portion of video materials. This text ensures that deaf and hard of hearing learners have full, equitable access to all multimedia tools used in the classroom. With modern technology and a wide variety of affordable captioning alternatives, accessing classroom materials and media lectures is easier than ever.

How to Get Materials Captioned

• Talk to your instructor: If you need video materials captioned for a class, communicate directly with your instructor(s).
• Contact DHHS for support: If you need further assistance with you media requests, please email Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) at deafservices@necc.mass.edu or call 978-241-7045 (VP).

Communications Access Realtime Translation

CART (Speech-to-Text Services)

Many deaf and hard of hearing individuals choose to use Speech-to-Text Services (STTS), either as their primary accommodation or alongside other services, to achieve full communication access.

These real-time services are provided by a Speech-to-Text Professional who converts spoken words and auditory information into visual text. Generally, speech-to-text services are delivered in one of two formats: verbatim (word-for-word) or meaning-for-meaning.

What is CART?

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is the instant translation of the spoken word into English text.

• How it works: A trained CART reporter uses a specialized stenotype machine, a computer, and real-time software to capture speech as it happens.
• The display: The live text displays instantly on a laptop screen, monitor, or other display device for the student to read.
• Who it helps: While this technology is primarily designed for individuals with hearing loss, it is also highly beneficial for people with learning disabilities or those learning English as a second language (ESL)

Resources

National Deaf Center Website:Speech-to-Text Services

Interpreting

Working with an Interpreter

An interpreter’s role is to facilitate seamless communication by conveying all auditory and signed information, ensuring that both hearing and deaf individuals can fully interact.

Interpreters associated with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) are bound by a strict Code of Professional Conduct (CPC). This professional standard ensures confidentiality, neutrality, and accuracy in all settings.

What to Remember

Faithful Transmission: the interpreter’s job is to faithfully transmit both the spirit and the exact content of what is being said or signed.

Equal Access: They do not advise, tutor, or participate in the conversation; their presence simply allows the student and instructor full, equal access to the interaction.

Primary Responsibility: The interpreter’s sole focus is to facilitate clear and effective communication between you and your instructor or peers.

General Guidelines for the Meeting, Training or Online Class

Recognize that a DHHS participant looking away or down is often reading live captions or viewing an interpreter not losing focus. 

Allow extra time when sharing your screen so DHH participants can review the slides before switching their focus back to the interpreter. Present information slowing and confirm that everyone is ready before advancing to the next page or slide.

Anticipate a slight delay in responses or questions due to the natural lag time of live interpretation. Wait until both the interpreter and the DHH participant have finished speaking or signing before moving on. Permit interpreters to pause the session if they need to ask for immediate clarification.

Ensure only one person speaks at a time so the interpreter can accurately convey the conversation. Designate a moderator to manage the discussion flow and enforce turn-taking. Require participants to raise their hands before speaking so DHH participants can visually identify who is talking. 

Allow necessary buffering time for English-to-ASL and ASL-to-English translation. Interpreters may pause briefly before voicing a DHH participant’s signs. 

Speak specifically by naming objects directly. Do not use vague words like “this” or “that” when pointing to or demonstrating visual content.

Resources

For further guidance and support, visit the National Deaf Center Website: Resources:Interpreting

Note Taking

Note Taking Support Services

Why Provide Note Taking?

Note-taking is the most widely used support service by students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It provides critical access to course content in a unique way, though it is never a substitue for interpreting. 

In many cases, both interpreting and note-taking services are necessary. This is because it is physically impossible for a student to watch an interpreter or speech-read while simultaneously taking notes. For non-signing students, these notes are often their primary means of accessing lectures.

How Note-Taking Services Work

Based on a student’s documented disability, a note-taker accommodation may be approved for a student.

• Hiring and Schedules: DHHS maintains a confidential master schedule of all note-taking assignments. Peer note-takers may or may not be enrolled in the same course as the student.
• Notifications: DHHS will send you an email confirmation as soon as a note-taker is officially hired for your class.
• Training: DHHS provides all materials and training directly to the hired note-takers to ensure quality.
• Attendance Policy: You will only receive notes for the specific days and times that you are physically present in class. Notes are not provided for absences.
• Role Boundaries: A note-taker’s sole responsibility is to capture lecture information. Personal tutoring, coaching, or extra academic help is not part of their job.
• Back-Up Options: If a note-taker cannot be found right away, audio recording the class lecture may be used as a temporary alternative option.
• Changes to Services: Please notify DHHS immediately if you decide that note-taking services are no longer needed for a particular course.