Institutions should ensure equal opportunities for students in the classroom, for class-related activities outside the classroom, and in non-academic programs such as housing, counseling, student organizations, and student activities.
Programs and public events — such as campus tours and orientation, commencement, sporting events, performances and conferences — should also be accessible to deaf people who are not students, faculty, or staff, including friends, families and visitors.
Planning for Accessible Events
When planning for accessible events, institutions should:
- Determine funding policy and procedures for accommodation requests prior to receiving any requests. Equitable Access Guide: Section 5: Beyond the Classroom: Non-Academic Programs has information on centralized and decentralized funding structures.
- Designate an office or staff members responsible for coordinating event accommodations.
- Have disability inclusion statements and language in event advertisements which explain how to request accommodations and provide contact information.
- Have working assistive listening devices available at events with information available at the venue about how to access these devices. Some of these devices should be hearing aid compatible.
- Provide both speech-to-text and interpreting services for large public events without the need for formal requests. This will provide greater access by considering the audience’s wide range of communication needs.This proactive approach will also minimize last-minute requests, as providers are less likely to be available on short notice.For live-streamed public events, a single video of an event with captions and a picture-in-picture interpreter is a common practice.
- Have all media used during an event or program captioned, since captions benefit everyone.
Additional Resources
- Equitable Access Guide: Section 5: Beyond the Classroom: Non-Academic Programs
- Creating Access: Campus Visitors
- Creating Access: Graduation Events
- Campus Accessibility Guide
- Improving Campus Access
- What are some considerations when planning for an accessible, virtual commencement for deaf participants?
- What are some strategies to create an accessible virtual orientation and/or campus tour for new incoming deaf students?
