New Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: How to Get Started

Please let us know as soon as you register for classes so we can start seeking and booking your providers.

Please connect with your professors before the first class to discuss any pertinent information related to working with ASL Interpreters and/0r CART providers.  We will also send your professors’ information ahead of time, which you are welcome to read.

You will receive faculty accommodation letters listing approved accommodations and you should provide them to your professors.

We expect you to have ongoing communication with your service providers. Please exchange contact information and communicate directly about classroom needs, etc. if a conflict arises, we expect you to first try to resolve things together.  Feel free to bring us into the loop should those attempts prove unsatisfactory, or if there are other ways we can support you.

All scheduling changes and absences must be notified to Coordinator of Deaf and hard of hearing services ahead of time. If you are going to be late for class, please let the coordinator know as soon as possible.

If possible, please upload your most current documentation to your student portal. An audiogram, a clinical summary from your physician, or a 504 plan/IEP can be helpful in coordinating services most appropriate for your needs.

If you are requesting accommodations other than ASL interpreting or CART services,  please see our documentation guidelines.

To help us secure ASL interpreters that fit your communication access needs the best, you may want to submit a short introduction video to us in your primary language. You can send this video to aslods@bu.edu or you may upload in a google drive folder and share the folder with aslods@bu.edu.

Introduce yourself

What you are studying?

What do you look for in your interpreting team?

What communication styles work/do not work for you?

We do our best to fill all requests for services.  The priority of requests is given to academic commitments of a student.  The following criteria are used to determine the status of all requests for services:

Classroom instruction/presentation

Required class group activity outside the classroom

Other academic needs; meetings with faculty, tutoring, etc

Other university programming

Before the start of each semester, please log into your student portal and select semester request to renew your services.  We do not begin booking service providers until your semester request is provided.

You can renew your accommodations and services for the following semester as soon as you have registered for classes by opening your student portal and clicking on your “semester request”.

Instructions (with captioning) for how to renew your semester accommodations:

Video Instructions for Semester Requests

If you would like to request new or additional accommodations, you can also do this through the portal. You will need to meet to discuss your new request.

If you would like to modify or add accommodations, please log into your student portal and select “Additional Accommodation Request” and follow the directions listed.

Suspension of services may result from behavior exhibited by the student that seems contrary to the need for services. This includes, but is not limited to: inappropriate behavior towards service providers, continued absences from class, not informing DAS of absences or late arrivals, or disregard of the policies and procedures established by DAS to upon initiation of services. If a student engages in substantiated abusive behavior, physical or verbal, towards any service provider. Such behavior will be considered in violation of the university policy and may be subject to disciplinary action by the university.

Assignment/Reassignment of Interpreters and CART providers

The Coordinator assigns service providers to academic courses based on the needs of the student and the availability,  background, and experience of specific service providers. Most classes and events are covered by a team of interpreters to provide adequate support and coverage of the class/event and to avoid work-related injuries for Interpreters.

The assignment of service providers takes into consideration the following

• the academic background or experience of the service provider,
• the specific communication needs of the student/participant,
• the purpose of the assignment (academic vs other),
• course/presentation content and difficulty,
• the availability of a service provider for a particular course/event.

Specific student service providers preferences will be considered when there is a compelling reason for the preference.  For example, a service provider with past experience in a similar or complex course may be more familiar with the language needed and therefore may be preferable.  However, there is no guarantee that a student will be assigned any specific service provider for any particular class or activity.

Preferred Providers:  Students are able to add/remove preferred providers from their preferred providers list at any time. This can be done at any time by informing the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.

DAS values transparency, so it is important that you provide us with as much feedback as possible to help us understand what is going well and what might need to change.

Conflict:  From time-to-time, conflicts or concerns may arise with your service providers. We encourage you to reach out to your service provider and express your concerns directly to them. Sometimes it may be as simple as asking them to articulate differently or to sign faster. Our pool of service providers are highly qualified professionals who have vast experience working in higher education settings. We find most issues can be easily resolved with direct, transparent communication.

If you need support after meeting with your service providers, please reach out to us and let us know how we can best support you. We foster open communication and want you to ensure that you are receiving the best services possible.

We welcome feedback regarding what is working well for you.

Removal and Reassignment:

Removal of a service provider is taken very seriously and is not common.  Requests for reassignment may be made by either the student or service provider. Reasons for reassignment might include:

• service providers knowledge base/experience with a subject matter
• student tardiness, excessive absence
• unwillingness to communicate (either student or provider)
• the difficulty of the subject matter
• breach of ethics
• objectionable behavior (student or service provider)
• unresolved personal conflicts between the student and service providers.
• students’ lack of ASL fluency

Requests for, and ultimate, reassignment on behalf of service providers or students must be made to the Coordinator.

Boston University Faculty/Staff Employees

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 reasonable accommodation process under the Life@ BU section of the Human Resources forms page
• 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

Guests

• Guests should contact aslods@bu.edu. 

Please email your requests as early as possible, ideally 10 business days in advance if possible, and provide as much detail as possible:

• Who is the meeting with?
• What is the meeting for?
• How many consumers will be present?
• When is the meeting (date and time)?
• Where is the meeting or event?