Supporting Sign Language Interpreting and Realtime Captioning (CART) in the Classroom


Context and purpose

Accommodation + Accessibility Services offer Sign Language Interpreting and Realtime Captioning (CART) to support deaf and hard of hearing students access to the same educational opportunities as their hearing peers. The accommodations intend to remove communication barriers that would otherwise hinder students' ability to learn and engage.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) involves realtime captioning, converting spoken content (e.g., a live lecture) into text. Where CART converts one mode of communication to another (i.e., spoken language to text), Sign Languages (in Canada, American Sign Language (ASL), or langues du signes québécoise (LSQ)) are complete, natural languages in themselves.

ASL and LSQ are characterized as visual-spatial languages, utilizing handshapes, body movement, and facial expressions to convey meaning. In other words, each language has its own unique grammar and syntax, which are different from spoken English or spoken French.

Sign Language interpreting and CART are student-initiated accommodations. The Academic Success Centre writes, these "services are available as an accommodation for d/Deaf or hard of hearing students.” Procedurally:

  1.  The student would be required to formally apply for these accommodations through the Accessibility + Accommodations Services.

  2. Their need for Sign Language Interpretation or CART would then be approved by an Accessibility Advisor; both services are coordinated by the office.

  3. An instructor would then receive a letter informing them of the accommodation.

Typically, the extent of instructor involvement in the provision of either service involves providing access to course materials in advance to the service providers (i.e., access to Canvas) and discussions with providers about student-preferred positioning in the classroom.

Strategies

The following strategies provide guidelines for instructors on how to best support CART or Sign Language Interpreting in their classrooms. The practices can be adapted to reflect the mode of your class, whether it be online, in-person, synchronous, asynchronous or hybrid.

Before class

  • Share course materials in advance: Provide interpreters and CART providers with access to course materials, including lecture notes, slides, readings, and vocabulary lists, as far in advance as possible. This allows them to prepare and ensure accurate interpretation and translation. They should have access to your Canvas course and be in the class.

  • Lighting and placement: Ensure adequate lighting in the classroom. Consider the placement of the interpreter or CART provider to ensure they are visible and easily accessible to the student. Their specific placement in the room is decided informally, often between the provider and student, and can sometimes involve the instructor.

During class

Please remember that interpreters and translators are not participants in the class and remain neutral. Nor should they be asked to perform additional duties such as handing out papers.

  • Speak clearly and at a moderate pace: Avoid mumbling, speaking too quickly, or turning your back to the class while speaking. Maintain a consistent pace to allow for accurate interpretation and translation.

  • Face the student: If you are speaking directly with the student who has interpretation or translation support, face the student while speaking, rather than the service provider.

  • Manage visual aids: When using visual aids, describe them verbally. Avoid pointing to images or text without explanation. For example, instead of saying “moving from here to there” to refer to two different visuals, provide more context by saying “moving from image 1 to image 2.”

  • Repeat questions and comments: When students ask questions or make comments, repeat them clearly for the benefit of everyone in the class, especially those using CART or Sign Language Interpretation.

  • Manage group discussions: During group discussions, ensure that only one person speaks at a time and encourage students to raise their hands before speaking. The instructions can be provided before breaking out into groups.

    Interpretation often involves a short time lag when working between the two languages involved. It is good practice to pause for a few moments when opening for questions or calling on students, to allow time for the interpretation to be completed.

  • Use a microphone: If available, use a microphone to ensure clear audio for both interpreters and CART providers.

  • Avoid overlapping speech: When multiple people speak at once, it becomes very difficult for interpreters and CART providers to accurately capture the information. Encourage students to respect the need for clear, sequential communication.

Ongoing reflection

  • Maintain open communication: Foster open communication with the service providers and the student to address any concerns or questions.

  • Confidentiality: Remember, accessibility information is confidential. Never discuss a student's need for accommodations with other students.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for teaching and learning that fosters learner agency through multimodality, accounting for the diversity in learning styles. The multimodal (CART) and multilingual (Sign Language Interpretation) integration of communication into the classroom is reflective of UDL’s broader learner-centred approach to teaching and learning.

Reflective prompts

To evaluate your approach to accessibility in the classroom, consider asking yourself:

  1. How can I integrate verbal descriptions of visual aids more seamlessly into my teaching practices, benefiting all students?

  2. How can I model and deliver general communication accessibility strategies early in the semester to raise awareness among all students and establish clear guidelines for class participation?

Additional resources

U of A resources

External resources

  • Boston University. .

We would like to extend our deep gratitude for the collaboration and labour of Dr. Joanne Weber, Pam Brenneis, and Ginette Chalifoux in the development of this resource. Their insight was essential to its creation and meaningfulness.This tip sheet would not have been possible without their generous support, care, and feedback throughout this process.