...WHO ARE DEAF/HARD OF HEARING

RDS Support	Tutoring
Other University Programs	Telecommunication Devices (TDDs)

MISCELLANEOUS

signing icon

ACADEMICS

Students who are Deaf/hard of hearing will be provided access to all academic programs for which they are academically qualified. They are also expected to meet the same requirements as other students for admission and for graduation.

Students for whom American Sign Language (ASL) is a primary language are expected to basically understand written and verbal English as appropriate to a higher education environment. In general, course requirements are not modified as an accommodation. Students must be able to comprehend abstract ideas as well as perform concrete tasks.

The method to demonstrate mastery of knowledge is commonly at the discretion of instructors. While some courses require this demonstration through papers and projects, students are more likely required to illustrate how much they know through exams. It is possible to accommodate students through different testing environments and formats. Students are not necessarily graded on effort although some instructors may factor this in when determining final grades.

Students who maintain a cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA) or above are considered in good standing with the university. Students who fall below a 2.0 cumulative GPA will be placed on probation. Students then have 2 semesters in which to raise their GPA to a 2.0 or better. At the end of two semesters, if a student's GPA is still below a 2.0, he/she will be dismissed from the university. (Petitions for exceptions are possible.)

Classroom Interaction

Class environments can range from 200-plus student lecture halls to small seminar or discussion groups.

As with any other student, a student who is Deaf/hard of hearing will be expected to participate in class discussions. A student is encouraged to contact his/her instructors during the first week of the semester so that he/she is familiar with a student's particular communication style/manner. At this time, a student also may discuss any other needs he/she may have in a hearing environment that may affect the acquisition of information.

The types of accommodations most commonly used by students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing are: sign language/oral interpreters, FM systems and note takers. When resources are available, real-time captioning may also be provided.

Some courses may use videos as instructional aids. Unfortunately, not many of these videos will be closed-captioned. There are several options available to accommodate Deaf/hard of hearing students who need to view videos. Please contact the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services for possible suggestions.

Instructor Awareness

Not all instructors may have had experience working or communicating with someone who is Deaf/hard of hearing. A student may need to help orient the instructor to his/her particular communication needs to help ensure appropriate interaction.

If a class requires an interpreter, RDS will provide the instructor with written information for suggestions on how best to work with a student who is Deaf/hard of hearing. Interpreters are expected to meet with the instructor prior to the class to discuss how best to be a facilitator for communication for the student, the instructor and other students in the class. If a real-time captionist is provided, the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services will also contact each instructor prior to the beginning of classes to arrange for appropriate seating and any other details that may arise.

FM systems are also available for students who do not use interpreters and have enough hearing to benefit from them. RDS provides these systems on loan to an individual student for his/her time at the university. RDS will facilitate the use of the systems between the student and instructor as needed.

In general, note takers are volunteers from within a particular class. Often instructors are able to help identify potential note takers in a class. Instructors may also be able to share lecture notes and/or copies of overheads. However, some material may not be available to students due to copyright protections.

If a real-time captionist is provided as an accommodation, a student will be provided with a hard copy of the lecture as transcribed. However, a student may also need to interact directly with an instructor for clarification of class material.

Other Academic Needs

Generally, if a student needs to meet with an instructor immediately after class, arrangements can be made with one of the class interpreters.

An accommodation will be provided through RDS iIf a student needs support for communication:

to attend group meetings for classes,
to attend tutoring sessions,
to attend events required by class,
to meet with an instructor, or
to communicate in any other academic situation

When possible, prior notice of the need is required (at least 3 days in advance, if possible). Other accommodations that may be needed for these occasions are provided on a case-by-case basis. Contact the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services for more information.

If a student is in a class that uses interactive computer software dependent upon sound, accommodations may take some time to arrange. A student should contact the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services as soon as possible once this type of requirement is known.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The provison of an accommodation begins only once the need is made known to appropriate university personnel. A student must be considered eligible for an accommodation based on the documented presence of a disability and the significance the limitation has to participating in a course or program.

A student who is Deaf/hard of hearing and needs accommodations in courses should first meet with the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services. After an assessment of needs, the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services will begin the process of arranging accommodations. If an accommodation requires the assistance of the instructor, the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services will provide the student with a letter that will be given to each faculty member for each course for which an accommodation will be needed. This letter verifies for the faculty member that the accommodation is appropriate for a student's need. A faculty member need not provide any accommodation simply on the word of a student.

In addition, if specific arrangements need to be made with a faculty member, the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services will be able to facilitate these arrangements, providing he/she is contacted in a timely manner.

There are no guarantees that a student will receive exactly the accommodation requested. Accommodations are provided that give effective access to the academic environment and for which resources are available.

RDS Support

Interpreting-- Sign Language and Oral

Oral or sign language interpreting services are provided, at no charge, to qualified Deaf/ hard of hearing students for classes and other academic meetings or university sponsored programs. There are two qualified interpreters on staff in the RDS office. One is the Coordinator for Interpreting Services. The other is a Lead Interpreter. One or the other is normally available in the office for drop-in interaction. However, both also interpret classes and may be out of the office at specific times. Although other RDS staff may not be very proficient in sign language, all are willing to communicate with students through alternative means when necessary.

RDS also contracts with qualified interpreters from the surrounding community for classroom/other accommodations. All interpreters employed by the university through RDS are graduates of a recognized Interpreter Training Program and/or otherwise have the skills necessary to interpret a college level curriculum.

Requests for interpreters for classes and academic situations need to be made through the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services in a timely manner in order to ensure assignments of interpreters can be made appropriately.

Real-Time Captioning

Real-time captioning is a relative service at Colorado State University. It is primarily for students who are severely hard of hearing and who DO NOT know American Sign Language (ASL) and for whom an oral interpreter is not an adequate support. Resources are limited; therefore, this service is available to a limited number of students for whom equitable access to an academic program can be provided through no other means. A real-time captionist does not substitute for a student attending a particular class.

Registration

For those students who have difficulty using the phone due to their hearing limitation contact the RDS as early as possible for registration assistance. Students who use interpreting services will automatically be placed on Priority Registration status. See General Information for more details on Priority Registration.

Note takers, etc.

Note takers are generally recruited from within each class. Students who require note taking support are encouraged to select someone who takes notes that are as comprehensive as possible.

There are two methods used to solicit note takers. A student may self-initiate the process by making an announcement in class for a volunteer note taker. If a student finds it difficult to recruit a note taker, RDS will assist in the process.

Notes are shared in one of two ways: by photo-copying the notes the volunteer note taker has or by the use of carbonless paper. Contact the RDS Coordinator for Note Taking Support for more information.

Occasionally a volunteer (student) note taker is not effective for the demands of a course. RDS may provide an outside person to take notes in these courses. Contact the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services for an assessment of needs if you feel a peer student note taker is not effective for a particular class.

Any student who receives note taking support as an accommodation is required to attend class. Otherwise, notes will not be provided.

Tutoring

While tutoring is not considered an accommodation, it is often very helpful for students who are Deaf/hard of hearing. Peer tutoring is usually available from a variety of sources. Some tutoring is provided as group study while other tutoring may be one-on-one.

Tutoring offered by specific departments is generally free. One resource is the Academic Advancement Center (ACC). Students must meet the AAC specific criteria to be eligible. Private tutors may also be found through academic departments for a fee. Some tutoring programs are sponsored directly by the university. See General Information for more details.

RDS may also have available information and resources for more specific needs related to tutoring. If your specific needs cannot be met through the free resources available on campus, please contact the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services.

Other University Programs (non-academic)

There are many programs offered at the university that are not academic in nature. For example, guest speakers are often brought to campus to present to the general campus community. There are also many student organizations related to specific interests. These organizations normally have meetings during the evening as well as during the day time hours.

If you are planning to attend any university sponsored non-academic program, the university is responsible for providing an interpreter or other accommodation. However, you may need to request this accommodation prior to the event so that appropriate arrangement can be made.

Contact the RDS Coordinator of Interpreting Services for more information.

Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD)

There are various locations on campus where students can find and use TDDs. RDS also has a unit that can be loaned to a student for a specific amount of time. See the RDS Coordinator for Interpreting Services for more information about the TDDs on campus.

All freshman are required to live on campus. Students who are Deaf/hard of hearing may choose to live in any residence hall. Housing will provide, on request, a separate dedicated phone line for a TDD in a student's room. Housing will also install a flasher light for the doorbell, TDD, and residence hall alarm system if requested. For more information, contact Housing and Food Services/Operations Management, Palmer Center, 1005 W. Laurel, (970) 491-7171.

In order to make any long distance calls from a TDD using a relay system on campus, a student must use a credit or calling card. The university's telecommunication system is unable to track specific calls through third party arrangements.

MISCELLANEOUS

Telephone Communication

US Sprint provides a service called Relay Colorado. This service enables those with TDDs to communicate with those without and vice versa. The numbers are: 1-800-659-2656 TDD and 1-800-659-3656 Voice. Due to incompatibility of billing systems, any long distance TDD call (out of state) using Relay Colorado from campus phones (including residence halls/apartments) must be made by credit or calling card.

RDS also has a 24 hour TDD message machine at (970) 491-2172. For emergency calls on campus with a TDD, contact University Police at 491-2323.

Accommodations for Non-University Activities

For non-university meetings or programs or for personal use, an interpreter can be hired from Connections, Greeley, CO, (970) 352-8682. The student is responsible for making arrangements, as well as for the cost, in these non-university or personal situations.

Connections in Greeley offers a variety of services to the deaf/hard of hearing community, including interpreting and advocacy. Contact Connections in Greeley, at (970) 352-8682 V/TDD.

For information about other local community accessibility or services for individuals with disabilities, contact the local independent living center, Disabled Resource Services, at 424 N. Pine, Suite 101, Ft. Collins, CO 80524, (970) 482-2723 TDD, 482-2700 Voice.

Involvement

Students interested in improving the accessibility of campus for Deaf/hard of hearing individuals are welcome to join the Committee for Disabled Student Accessibility, a student-run group that uses a portion of student fees for small accessibility projects around campus. Contact RDS for more information.

Financial Aid

Students with disabilities are eligible to apply for any financial aid available through the university. Disability is consider a "diverse" characteristic on campus and may help qualify you for those awards that are designed to promote diversity on campus. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 103 Administration Annex, (970) 491-6321 for more information.

Another alternative for potential financial support is the Vocational Rehabilitation office, located at 2850 S. McClelland, Suite 2000, Fort Collins, (970) 223-9823.

Other

RDS will assist students in locating other appropriate services as needed. If you have further questions concerning Colorado State University and the accommodations that are available to you as a student, please contact RDS.

This page maintained by: RDS Webmaster
Comments welcome!!
Disclaimer | Equal Opportunity
Resources for Disabled Students
100 General Services
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA (970) 491-6385

	RESOURCES FOR DISABLED STUDENTS
RDS is part of the Division of Student Affairs	100 General Services, Fort Collins, CO 80523-8002 (970) 491-6385 (V/TDD), (970) 491-3457 (Fax)