I am a Faculty/Staff Member

Communication Access for Boston University Faculty/Staff 

Boston University provides communication access and other reasonable accommodations for Faculty and Staff as employees of the University. 

• Employees should first contact Equal Opportunity Office to formally request accommodations.  Please download and review the request an accommodation process form 

• Once approved, please contact the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to discuss your needs and communication preferences. 

• CART (Real-Time Captioning) requests can be emailed to: dhhods@bu.edu  

• ASL Interpreter requests can be emailed to: aslods@bu.edu 

Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHH) partners with faculty and staff to ensure Deaf and Hard of Hearing students have equitable access to academic programs, university-sponsored activities, and campus services. 

If you have a student approved for accommodations, our office will coordinate communication access services and work with you to address accessibility-related questions or concerns. 

Faculty Accommodation Letters 

Students approved for accommodations receive faculty accommodation letters through the Accommodate. Faculty should review the accommodation letter carefully and work with the student and DHH as needed to implement approved accommodations. 

Common accommodations may include: 

• American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting 

• Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) 

• Assistive listening technology 

• Captioned media and videos 

• Preferred seating 

• Note-taking support 

Working with Interpreters and CART Providers 

Interpreters and CART providers are communication facilitators who provide access to course content and discussions. Faculty can support effective communication access by: 

• Speaking at a natural pace. 

• Speak directly to the student, not to the interpreter.  

• Repeating questions or comments from other students when possible. 

• Sharing course materials in advance when available. 

• Allowing interpreters and CART providers appropriate seating and access to classroom activities. 

• Providing interpreters and CART providers with access to Blackboard (or other course management systems) so they can review course materials, terminology, assignments, and announcements in advance. This preparation helps support the accuracy and effectiveness of communication access services. 

• Ensuring audiovisual materials are accessible.