Working with ASL Interpreters in Remote Learning Environments

The intent of this document is to provide a roadmap that will aid in class set-up and allow everyone to have a successful experience within the distance learning environment. These best practices have been thoughtfully constructed by the Bob Murphy Access Center (BMAC) team based on the shared experiences of students, interpreters, and faculty from this past spring semester. Please confer with your student to inquire as to what their preferred options are. Meetings to discuss classroom logistics and accessibility between students, faculty, and interpreter teams can be arranged through BMAC prior to the start of the semester. 

Interpreter should be added to Canvas and allowed to enter the Zoom session for access. The interpreter will work with the student/s to ensure visibility. You may be asked to grant hosting/recording permission depending on student need. 

To allow for ease of access, please assign your interpreter team as “co-hosts” to manage accessibility options and interpreter visibility. Click the Zoom Information Document for more information on recording options.

Materials posted for students must be captioned. For assistance with captioning, please contact BMAC's Accessible Technology Program at bmac-atp@csulb.edu.

 

  • Spotlighting negates the ability of the student to view or pin the interpreter.
    • While recording, pinning a window other than the interpreter impedes accessibility.
  • Muting non-speaking participants allows interpreters to fully access the speaker’s message.
  • Consider establishing discussion parameters for the whole class as overlapping speech is inaccessible.
  • D/HH students depend on their eyes to take in all content. Visual noise is present in traditional classrooms but magnified in the digital space. Reducing “visual noise”, such as having all videos off, allows for a more accessible & successful learning environment.
  • Turn-taking will give space for all voices to be interpreted. Processing time inherent to interpreting can impede the D/HH student’s ability to participate in class discussions, as topics can move forward before the interpreted content has been fully relayed.
    • The Raise Hand feature, under the participant list, is a convenient tool for allowing class participation in an ordered fashion. Students are brought to the top of participant list as Raise Hand is clicked.
  • Break-Out Room usage should allow for the student and the interpreter team (or CART provider) to be transferred into the same Break-Out Room to allow for uninterrupted access to communication.

Are you using YouTube or other video content? If so, please review for caption accuracy before using/posting. Not captioned? Please contact the BMAC for additional support.