Please read the following information carefully. Contact the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Access Services at (541) 737 - 4098 (Voice) or email DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu if you have questions or need additional information.

The office of Disability Access Services (DAS) has the responsibility to provide access for all regular academic programs, essential student services and University activities and events that are open to students and/or the public.

DAS also has the responsibility to provide qualified transcribers who follow the ethics of their profession. A sample transcriber Code of Ethics can be viewed online at http://typewell.com/ethics.html

In addition to receiving in-class accommodations, you may request services for meetings with instructors and advisors, instructor-guided study sessions, and instructor-assigned group project meetings. You also have the right to request a transcriber for any OSU activity that is open to students or the public, such as plays, lectures, and student organization meetings.

The responsibilities of a student receiving real-time transcribing (RTT) services at the University include but are not limited to the following

Contact Information/Class Schedule
It is your responsibility to notify the DAS office immediately if your class schedule or contact information (address, email, phone number, etc.) changes. You also have the responsibility to contact DAS if you will be absent from class(es) or if your instructor cancels class on a particular day. Please remember that transcribers are paid for all assignments canceled with less than 24 hours' advance notice.

Priority Scheduling
Students who are eligible for transcribing services are also granted priority scheduling. Registering for classes early allows time for DAS to contact and schedule transcribers and arrange for equipment used in providing the service.

• Students should enter their schedule of classes online at http://ds.oregonstate.edu immediately after registering for classes. Select the link for ?Student On-Line Services?. Choose ?RTT? next to the course reference number (CRN) for which you are requesting transcribing services.

For Related Academic Program Requests
Please inform the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access Services about planned activities noted on the course syllabus, such as class field trips and videos, which will require accommodations.

Complete the online Interpreter/Transcriber Request Form as far in advance as possible. A minimum of 48 hours' advance notice is usually required in order to locate a transcriber; one-week advance notice is preferred. Last-minute requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Transcribers must have prior approval from the DAS office before interpreting any assignment.

Additional Transcribing Requests
Advertisements for an event should list a contact person to whom requests for special accommodations can be made. If no such information is provided, you may also request a transcriber through DAS by emailing DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu. When requests are made, please include the following information:

1. Date
2. Time
3. Location
4. Nature of assignment
5. Sponsoring department/college (if known)

If you prefer, you may complete the Request for Interpreting or Transcribing Services form at http://ds.oregonstate.edu. Remember to submit your request as far in advance of the event as possible. The Coordinator will notify you by email when a transcriber is confirmed.

If you are unable to attend class or an event for which you requested a transcriber, please notify the DAS office as soon as possible. Call the main office at (541) 737 - 4098 (Voice) or email DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu. DAS must pay transcribers for all assignments canceled with less than 24 hours advance notice.

If you are absent, you are encouraged to ask a classmate for a copy of his/her notes. Transcripts are not provided to students who are absent, unless the absence is disability-related.

DAS does not have a class attendance policy; however, students are encouraged to know instructors' policies and to attend classes on a regular basis to best insure academic progress at OSU.

If you are tardy, the transcriber will wait twenty minutes for you to arrive. You will not receive the portion of the transcript that was created before your arrival to class. If you do not arrive, the transcriber will inform the DAS office that you did not attend class. Students who repeatedly are ?no shows? in classes without requesting a cancellation of the service may have the service suspended at the discretion of the Coordinator. Students who wish to reinstate the service must first meet with the Director of DAS.

Please inform the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Access Services by emailing DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu or calling the main office at (541) 737 - 4098 (Voice) even if the transcriber is already aware that the class has been canceled.

Periodically, Disability Access Services conducts evaluations of our programs and service providers. Your participation and candid comments will be appreciated! The information will be used to improve the quality of all our programs and will be shared with transcribers in order to aid their professional development.

• What is Real-Time Transcribing?
  Real-time transcribing services are provided to students who have a documented disability in order to provide real-time print communication access. In a classroom, the transcriber will type all of the lecture material in a ?meaning for meaning? format. Class discussions, environmental noise, social interaction among other students, and non-lecture related comments (jokes, etc.) also will be transcribed. Students can type questions and comments to the transcriber for voicing during the class.
  By the end of the day of the class, the transcriber will delete non-subject related material and will provide a copy of the transcript via email or disk to serve as class notes for the day. Students also have the option of requesting RTT for real-time communication access only, and receiving class notes from a note taker. In such cases, please mark RTT and N next to the classes in which you request these services.

• Equipment Required for Transcribing
  DAS will provide two laptop computers to the transcriber. The transcriber is responsible for the care and set-up of the equipment. Please do not modify the programs on the computer or use the computer for non-class-related activities. Use caution when handling the computers and related equipment.
  The laptops are for use during classes, approved class-related assignments, and for providing access to University events and activities. They are not for personal use by the student and may not be loaned to the student for use in the student's residence.
• Working with the Transcriber
  1. Introduce yourself to the transcriber and let him/her know how you prefer to communicate with the instructor and other students in the class.
     
     Exchange email addresses and other contact information with the transcriber to ensure prompt receipt of the transcripts.
  2. Copy diagrams from the board or overheads. The transcriber cannot get this information into the notes. You may also request the instructor to make copies of overheads for your use.
  3. Please do not type personal comments to the transcriber. The transcriber must be attentive in order to capture all essential points of the lecture and classroom discussion.
  4. Remember that the text from the transcriber is not word-for-word. The transcriber must often condense information in order to retain all essential information while keeping up with the pace of the instructor's lecture.
  5. It is your responsibility to request clarification from the instructor. Please do not ask the transcriber to explain points of the lecture.
  6. If you are late to class, please note that the transcriber will not be responsible for any material presented before your arrival.
  7. Transcribers often have full schedules, and must quickly break down equipment in order to arrive to the next class on time. If you wish to ask questions of the instructor, please set up an appointment with her/him. You may request a transcriber for that meeting.

• Check the spelling of all new vocabulary words. Knowing the correct spelling is your responsibility.
• During class, don't watch the computer constantly. Occasionally glancing around the classroom will help you to know the emotional tone of the class and will help to prevent eyestrain.
• Talk to the transcriber about any problems with communication access during class. If the issues remain unresolved, please make an appointment to meet with the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Access Services at (541) 737 - 4098 (V) or email mailto:DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu. Please type in the Subject field of the email: Confidential ATTN Coordinator. DAS is committed to providing high quality accommodations for students registered with the department.

* Thanks to TypeWellŪ and Dr. Judy Colwell for assistance in the development of these guidelines.