D&A coordinates sign language interpreters and live captioning services for Deaf and hard of hearing students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. UT covers the cost of these services for all classes, meetings and University-sponsored events.
Contact the D/HH Services team at dhh@austin.utexas.edu or (512) 410-6644 (VP) for questions about any of the services on this page.
Request Deaf/HH Services
Submit your request as early as possible. All requests are subject to availability.
General Public
Contact the department sponsoring the event to request services on your behalf. Departments must provide an account number for the charges to be billed through Interdepartmental Transfer (IDT). Billing occurs 4-6 weeks after the event.
Need videos captioned?
UT Captioning and Transcription Services handles post-production captioning for University content. If services are needed for a UT student, faculty or staff member, the cost is covered by the University.
Sign Language Interpreters
Sign language interpreters provide real-time communication access between Deaf and hard of hearing individuals and hearing individuals. All interpreters at UT are state and nationally certified. Classes or events lasting one hour or more are assigned two interpreters.
Classroom Requests
Finalize your course schedule as early as possible. Interpreter assignments are based on your preference and interpreter availability, and earlier requests provide the best opportunity for preferred assignments.
Non-Classroom Requests
Submit your request at least three business days in advance for meetings with professors, group project meetings, review sessions and final exams. Last-minute requests aren’t guaranteed, though D&A will always try to secure services.
Live Captioning
Live captioning provides access to spoken content in real time through text displayed on a screen. D&A coordinates two types of live captioning services: Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) and Typewell. Both are arranged by the D&A Scheduling Coordinator.
Submit non-classroom requests at least three business days in advance. Last-minute requests aren’t guaranteed, though D&A will always try to secure services.
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART)
A captionist transcribes spoken material word for word into text displayed on a laptop or tablet. The captionist may work in person or remotely during a Zoom or Teams meeting.
Typewell
A remote transcriber provides a meaning-based transcript, which is a condensed version of spoken content rather than a word-for-word transcription. Captions are displayed on a laptop or tablet.
Student Responsibilities
Getting the most out of interpreter services works best when everyone is on the same page.
Students should:
- Meet with professors before the semester to discuss how the interpreting services will work in the course.
- Introduce interpreters and professors on the first day of class.
- Use approved notetaking accommodations. Interpreters can’t take notes, even when paired with a second interpreter.
- Notify D&A of changes to regularly scheduled assignments.
- Take responsibility for all information presented in class. Interpreters aren’t responsible for retaining or repeating missed information.
Policies
The following policies apply to all D/HH services.
Cancellations
Notify D&A at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel services. If a student misses class three times without 24-hour notice, they must meet with their coordinator before services continue.
No-Shows
Interpreters and captionists wait five minutes for each half-hour of their scheduled time. If you haven’t arrived before the waiting period ends, they’ll leave.
If your interpreter or captionist doesn’t show up, contact D&A immediately. A replacement will be sent if one is available.
Service Provider Ethics
Service providers are there to provide communication access for everyone in the room. They don’t participate in class, answer questions or share confidential information.
Don’t socialize with service providers while they’re working. If you have a question during class, raise your hand and the interpreter will voice it if requested.