The end of the year is often a time of reflection and looking back on the things that impacted us the most. In 2021, many of us were challenged to find ways to adapt to life after a year of lockdown, disconnection, and isolation. During this time, many people turned to NDC to help them navigate a variety of issues that act as barriers to #deafsuccess.
In case you missed it, below are the most common questions for the top 6 content areas we received this past year and a list of resources we provided in response.
Online Accessibility
Questions
- What are best practices when integrating interpreters and speech-to-text services in videoconferencing platforms?
- What’s the difference between CART and auto-captioning features on a platform?
- How do I make an online course or event accessible to deaf students?
Resources
- Auto Captions and Deaf Students: Why Automatic Speech Recognition Technology Is Not the Answer (Yet)
- Making Online Learning Accessible for Deaf Students: A Guide for Disability Services
- Accessible Trainings and Engagements With Deaf Audiences
Face Masks
Questions
- What if an instructor refuses to wear a clear face mask with a deaf student present?
- How do we create an equitable masking policy to include clear face masks?
- Where can I find clear masks to distribute to students and staff?
Resources
- Communicating with a Face Mask: What Colleges Need to Know for Deaf Students (and Everyone)
- Face Masks FAQs
- Deaf Student Access: Tips & Resources for Reopening Campus
Legal Responsibility and Policies
Questions
- Is my institution responsible for providing access to outside class activities like tutoring, campus events, off-campus internships, etc.?
- How do we manage interpreting and speech-to-text services if a deaf student consistently cancels their classes?
Resources
- Equitable Access Guide: Understanding Legal Responsibilities for Institutions
- Policies and Procedures: Excessive Student Absences
- Centralized Systems that Promote #DeafSuccess at Colleges and Universities
Deaf Medical Students and Healthcare Majors
Questions
- How do we accommodate a deaf student doing clinical internships?
- What types of stethoscopes are available to accommodate deaf students?
- How do accommodations impact patient confidentiality or HIPAA requirements?
Resources
- Deaf Medical Students and Healthcare Majors
- Navigating Accommodations in Medical or Clinical Internship Settings
- Deaf Medical Students FAQs
Self-Advocacy
Questions
- How do I advocate to receive appropriate accommodations?
- What kind of accommodations can I ask for?
- How do I file a complaint with my college due to accessibility concerns?
Resources
Accommodations 101: Interpreting, STTS, Captioned Media, and ALD
Questions
- What accommodations are commonly used by deaf students?
- Where can I find service providers?
- What strategies can create accessible foreign language courses, music courses, and internships?
Resources
- Accommodations 101
- Foundations of Effective Communication (Online Course)
Have any of these resources been of service to you this year?
Send us an email at help@nationaldeafcenter.org or tag us on a post with a link to your favorite resource from NDC on social media.
