The role of the sign language interpreter is to make communication
     accessible by facilitating communication among all parties involved:
     the instructor, the hearing students and the Deaf/HH student.
     The interpreter is not the student’s tutor, counselor, or aide; the
     interpreter is present only to ensure effective communication.
     Remember that conversations between you and a Deaf/HH student
     are the same as with a hearing student; speak to the student directly
     (not, “Tell him….”), and the interpreter will take care of the rest.

     If there is a need to meet with your student outside of class time,
     arrangements can be made to have an interpreter present foryour meeting.
     Please try to give advance notice when scheduling an interpreter;interpreter
     availability issometimes limited but we will do our best to accommodate your
     schedule. There may be occasions when there are changes in the regular
     class schedule, e.g., a class period will be canceled; a field trip; attending a
     campus event; etc. Any deviation from the regular class routine impacts the
     placement of interpreters – whether it is the need to cancel and reassign
     them or to provide additional or other interpreters for special events.

     All of these situations require that PDA Interpreter Services be notified as far
     in advance as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

     Note takers are provided for Deaf/HH students so that they are able to focus
     on the interpreter or on reading the lips of the person speaking. Usually, the
     notetaker is a student from your class. The Deaf/HH students may ask you
     to announce to the class their need for a note taker, or to identify a student
     who will take appropriate notes for them. Note takers are compensated for
     their willingness to be responsible for providing notes to Deaf/HH students.

     Depending on the communication needs of a student, s/he may opt for using
     captioning in lieu of an interpreter and note taker. Captioning is a general
     term for a variety of computer-aided speech-to-text transcription systems,
     utilizing two laptop computers.

     A specially trained captionist uses her/his laptop to input all proceedings of
     the class – instructor’s lecture, students’ questions/comments, etc. – that
     are simultaneously displayed on the student’s laptop. This is a relatively
     new technology, and only a few qualified captionists are currently available.

     If video/DVD presentations are part of the curriculum, it is advisable to make
     arrangements to use captioned material. Most commercial videos/DVDs are
     now captioned; LAGCC’s Library Media Services can assist you in locating
     captioned material and in providing the proper equipment to view it. Since
     it is very difficult for an interpreter to interpret movies, plays, and other
     scripted material accurately and sufficiently without preparation, it is
     requested that you alert the interpreter in advance so that s/he can provide
     appropriate access for the Deaf/HH student if captioned material is not
     available.

     For many hard-of-hearing students, access to a mainstream classroom
     depends on amplifying sound to a level that allows them to use their residual
     hearing. The student may request that you use an FM system to allow
     her/him to hear you at all times – whether you are standing directly in front
     of her/him, walking around the room, or have your back to the class while
     writing on the board. The FM system consists of a small microphone that
     unobtrusively clips to the instructor’s shirt, and a small transmitter with
     earphones that is worn by the student.

     Although tutoring is available and sufficient for students to succeed in most
     courses, PDA has identified certain courses that seem to present particular
     challenges. For these courses, PDA provides Academic Peer Instruction (API).
     API may be described as “enhanced tutoring,” in that the API leader is with
     the students in the classroom so that s/he has first-hand knowledge of what
     was covered in class and how the material was presented. Outside of the
     classroom, the API leader meets with the students to review and reinforce
     learning.

     PDA provides testing accommodations for Deaf/HH students who need extra
     time to take a test because of language issues. It is the student’s
     responsibility to request PDA proctoring services three days in advance of
     their scheduled exam. The student will present a PDA Testing
     Accommodations form for your signature, on which you are requested to
     indicate how the accommodations will be made, e.g., how the exam will be
     delivered/returned; what materials may be used during the exam (calculator,
     dictionary, etc.). The students understand that they are expected to
     complete all assignments and meet regular standards for passing their
     courses. What is required is an equitable chance to do so.
     The accommodations listed above are among those identified in Section 504
     of the National Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities
     Act of 1990, which relate to the non-discrimination of students with
     disabilities in post-secondary settings. You and the students may want to
     discuss the options that would best meet these accommodations.
     PDA is also available to provide assistance in this area.