Captioning and Interpreting in The Classroom

• Services provided by qualified, certified interpreters who facilitate communication between spoken English and sign language.
• In-person interpreting requires a professional interpreter to be in the classroom with the student, usually at the front of the classroom so that the student observes both the interpreter as well as any media content that the instructor is displaying.
• Remote interpreting requires the student or instructor to use a small, discrete microphone in order to provide audio content to the interpreter. OAE students eligible for interpretive services may loan assistive technology from the OAE, such as a lapel microphone for their instructor, to ensure quality audio access for the interpreter.
  • The student views the remote interpreting through their own computer.
• Interpreters do not tutor, participate in class discussions, or provide additional explanations beyond their role.
   

• Services provided by trained real-time captioners who transcribe speech into text in real-time for display on a screen.
• Captioners use specialized software and a display device in order to capture all spoken information and type it in near-real time so that the student is able to read the lecture or class discussion on their monitor. Live captioning is extremely accurate and only has a 2-3 second delay.
• CART may be on-site or remote.
  • In-person CART requires a professional captioner to be physically in the classroom with the student, listening to all audio content in the room and converting it to text on a computer monitor.
  • Remote CART requires reliable audio (microphone use and platform setup) and a suitable display for the student. OAE students eligible for CART may loan assistive technology from the OAE, such as a lapel microphone for their instructor, to ensure quality audio access for the captioner.
     

• Provide interpreters/CART providers with course materials via Canvas access or Google Drive when prompted by the OAE (syllabi, slide decks, readings, technical vocabulary).
• Indicate anticipated formats (small-group work, demonstrations, multimedia) so providers can plan.
• Ensure all assigned videos and multimedia are captioned. If not, coordinate with OAE for captioning in advance.
• Do not replace approved interpreting/CART with notes or transcripts unless the student agrees.
   

• Speak clearly and at a steady pace. Avoid talking while writing on the board or facing away from students.
• Ideally only one speaker at a time; manage turn-taking in discussions.
• Provide visual access: maintain good lighting for interpreters; avoid standing in front of interpreters; ensure clear line-of-sight for the student.
• Reserve seating that optimizes access (front/side row for line-of-sight to interpreter, instructor, and visual aids).
• Share specialized terminology, acronyms, and names before class when possible; when introducing new terms spontaneously, write them on the board or slide.
   

• Use microphones provided by the student consistently (lapel/handheld) so remote captioners receive clear audio. The student will be responsible for making sure the device is charged and in working order. The student delivers the microphone to the instructor at the beginning of class, as well as collecting it at the end of class.
• In Zoom or similar platforms, enable human captioning and assign the CART provider as captioner; avoid relying on auto-captions unless the student agrees.
• The student will be reading the captions on a device (tablet or laptop) during class.
• The remote CART captioner will be receiving a real-time audio stream of the class session/lecture to caption. However, no recordings will ever be produced (without your prior written consent).
   

• Provide safety briefings and access plans to OAE and providers in advance.
• Identify positions that allow safe line-of-sight and clear audio.
• For off-campus sites, coordinate logistics (access badges, check-in, seating, Wi-Fi) with OAE.
   

• Coordinate with OAE if exam formats or proctor interactions need interpreting or CART.
• For oral exams or presentations, plan for provider support and audio setup.
   

• Please share the link to your Zoom session with our captioner, as well as any passwords you may have set on the meeting. Once the captioner has the link to the Zoom meeting, they will join the class just as any other student. The professor may see an extra person in their class under the name “Captioner.”
• At the beginning of each class, we ask that you assign our captioner as the individual allowed to create captions for the session. Zoom does not currently allow you to save this choice, so you will need to manually assign them at the beginning of each class. Fortunately, it is an extremely easy process.
  • For full details on how to do this, click our How To: Assign a Captioner in Zoom.
• If your class uses breakout rooms, please be aware that the captioner needs to accompany the student into these rooms.
   

• In the event that your class is scheduled to be held remotely, and you plan on posting pre-recorded lectures rather than live classes, the OAE can help you caption this content in order to maintain accessibility for all students. Our captioners will create subtitle files, also known as SRT files, to be added to your course videos. This can be facilitated one of two ways:
  • If you are comfortable adding the captions to the Canvas course yourself, you can give our captioner Observer level access to your course. Once the captioner has access to the videos, they can begin to create the SRT files. Upon completion, the captioner will send them to the professor to manually add to each video.
    • Instructions on how to manually add SRT files to your course videos can be found at How To: Upload .srt files to Canvas.
  • In the event that you do not have time to add SRT files yourself, or you are not comfortable enough with the Canvas system to do this, please give our captioners Designer level access to your Canvas course. This allows our captioners to add SRT files to your course without giving them full Admin privileges.
     

Student use and Limitations

• When requested, captioning/CART transcripts are typically provided to the accommodated student for personal educational use by the captioner. They are not intended to replace course notes or serve as an official course record. Transcripts are generally not shared with instructors; any distribution to instructors or other students is restricted and may occur only with prior OAE authorization and in accordance with vendor licensing/copyright, privacy, and institutional policy.

Request and Release Process: 

• All transcript requests must be coordinated through the OAE. The availability and scope of transcripts—and any sharing beyond the student—depend on the captioning vendor’s policies. Where permitted, the OAE will determine whether, how, and to whom transcripts may be released; without authorization, instructors and others should not receive or retain transcript copies.