Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services
We provide services for Deaf/hard of hearing (D/hh) students in the
classrooms, for extracurricular activities, and for certain MATC events.
Within DRS, there is a D/hh specialist and two staff interpreters who
work with D/hh students.
Services Available
MATC offers the following services specifically for D/hh students:
- Sign
language interpreting/transliterating
- D/hh specialist
- Speech-to-text
captioning (i.e. C-Print)
- Note-takers
- FM loops on loan
- Videotape
captioning
- Other services may be available depending on
the specific disability
Financial Assistance for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students
If you have a hearing loss, you may qualify for a grant through the
state of Wisconsin. The maximum award per academic year is $1800. To
read more about this grant and to fill out an application, go to http://heab.wisconsin.gov.
Procedures for Receiving Services
To arrange a meeting with the D/hh specialist, contact either the DRS
Administrative Clerk, or the D/hh specialist. You may also go to the
Enrollment Desk, Room 159, (dark green sign) to set up an appointment.
If you will need interpreting or captioning services, it is recommended
that you register at least 4 weeks before the start of a semester. Students
registering later than that may not receive those services. MATC will
attempt to cover such classes, but due to the shortage of available,
qualified interpreters and captionists, these requests may not be filled.
Scheduling for interpreting and captioning services is on a first come,
first serve basis.
Prospective Students
If you are thinking about attending MATC, please refer to Accessing
Disability Services . In that process, when making your initial appointment,
you will need to specify that you need to meet with the D/hh specialist.
Be sure to include a recent audiogram with any other documentation you
bring (evaluation reports, most recent IEP, medical records, etc.). Documentation
assists our office in determining what accommodations will benefit you
in the classroom.
Current Students
To receive services, such as interpreters and note-takers, you must
contact and provide a class schedule to the D/hh specialist at least
4 weeks before each semester. If you would like advice about which classes
to take, make an appointment with the D/hh specialist.
Contact Information
- Kristin Risley, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Specialist, krisley@matcmadison.edu
(608 246-6796 (v/tty)
- Amber Jirschele, Staff Interpreter, ajirschele@matcmadison.edu
(608) 246-6352 (v)
- Renee Thomas, Staff Interpreter, rlthomas1@matcmadison.edu
(608)243-4267
(v)
- Cathy Hare, DRS Administrative Clerk, chare@matcmadison.edu
(608) 246-6716 (v)
- Sandy Hall, Director of DRS, sghall@matcmadison.edu
(608) 246-6791 (v)
If you do not have access to a TTY or VRS, you can call through the
Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay Service at 711.
Note: For emergencies or last minute cancellations (i.e. you can't go
to class), use the cell phone or text message number for the D/hh specialist
to ensure your message will be received quickly. This number will be
given to you at your first meeting. The message should include: your
name, the class or classes you will miss, and the time of the class.
Policies for Interpreting and Captioning Services
- Confidentiality: Any interpreter or captionist working
for MATC, whether staff or contracted, is expected to follow the Code
of Professional Conduct from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf,
Inc., viewable at www.rid.org/coe.html .
Interpreters
and captionists may, at times, need to share classroom accommodations-related
issues with other campus staff on a "need
to know" basis.
On a regular basis, the D/hh staff adopts a team approach in the collaboration
and sharing of work-related information. As a result, there will be
times when interpreters share typically confidential information about
the students and work experiences or challenges for the purpose of
improving the quality of MATC's services.
- Staff Interpreters
vs. Contract Interpreters: Staff interpreters will be used
first to cover classes. If necessary, contract interpreters will
be used to cover additional hours.
- First Day of Class: On the first day of
class, arrive a few minutes early and introduce yourself to the interpreter
or captionist. Be sure your seat in each classroom is right for you.
It is important that you have a direct line of vision to the instructor,
the board or screen, and the interpreter.
A student who misses the first day of class must contact the D/hh
specialist. No interpreter/captionist will attend class until the
issue is resolved.
- Scheduling Changes: You must
report any scheduling changes to the D/hh specialist as soon
as possible. The interpreters in your classes/extracurricular activities
do NOT report this information to the D/hh specialist – this is the
student's responsibility. If the D/hh specialist is unaware of these
changes, MATC will not be able to provide interpreters, captionists,
or substitutes at the correct times/locations. The scheduling changes
include, but are not limited to:
- Room changes
- Time changes
- Field
trips
- Cancelled or optional class days
- Assignments outside
of class time
- Interpreter Wait Time: For a 50-minute class,
the interpreter will wait 10 minutes. For classes that are longer
than 50 minutes, the interpreter will wait 15 minutes. After this time,
you will be considered a no-show and the interpreter will leave.
If you show up after this time you can still choose to stay for class
without the interpreter. Remember, your instructor has his/her own
attendance policy that you must follow as well.
- Planned
Absences: If you plan to miss class, you must notify the
D/hh specialist. The D/hh specialist will then contact your interpreter.
Notification as early as possible is appreciated. However, to avoid
a "no-show",
you must contact the D/hh specialist at least 1 hour before the start
of your class. Use the cell phone or text message number to ensure
the message will be received on time. If you leave a message, you
will need to leave your name, the class name, and class time. You
do not need to give a reason for your absences. Calling your interpreter
directly without contacting the D/hh specialist will be counted as
a no-show.
- Attendance Policy
- Definition of No-show
- 50-minute class
= Don't show during the first 10 minutes + don't contact
the D/hh specialist with at least 1 hour notice.
- Classes longer than 50 minutes
= Don't show during the first 15 minutes + don't contact
the D/hh specialist with at least 1 hour notice.
- For 16-week, semester-long
classes
- After 2nd No-Show - Interpreting/captioning services
for that class will be suspended. It is the students's
responsibility to arrange a meeting with the D/hh specialist
to discuss the issue. After this meeting, if the issue(s) are
resolved, services for that class will resume.
- After 3rd No-Show - Interpreting/captioning
services for that class may be cancelled for the remainder
of the semester. It is the student's responsibility to arrange
a meeting with the D/hh specialist AND the Director of DRS
to determine a course of action.
- For classes less than 16 weeks long (i.e. 4-, 6-, or 8- week
classes)
- After
1st No-Show - Interpeting/captioning services for that
class will be suspended. It is the student's responsibility
to arrange a meeting with the D/hh specialist to discuss the
issue. After this meeting, if the issue(s) are resolved, services
for that class will resume.
- After 2nd No-Show - Interpreting/captioning services for
that class may be cancelled for the remainder of the semester.
It is the student's responsibility to arrange a meeting with
the D/hh specialist AND the Director of DRS to determine a
course of action.
- You can
avoid no-shows! If you inform the D/hh specialist of your
absences at least 1 hour before the beginning of your class,
it will not be considered a no-show. Use the cell phone or
text message number to ensure the message will be received
on time. More than 1 hour notice is always appreciated so we
can plan accordingly.
- A student
who misses at least 25% of class hours in a semester, including
both planned absences and no-shows, may have his/her interpreting
services suspended.
- Dropped Classes: If you decide to drop a class,
you must inform the D/hh specialist.
You do not need to give a reason for dropping a class. However,
sometimes issues can be resolved, so it is recommended you discuss
the challenges you're facing with the instructor or the D/hh specialist.
- Interpreter/Captionist
Requests for Meetings, Extracurricular Events, Etc.: If you need
to request an interpreter/captionist for a function or event other
than your regularly scheduled classes, including tutoring sessions,
you must notify the D/hh specialist in person, by email or by phone.
At least 2 days notices is needed to have the best chance of getting
an interpreter. We will try to honor requests with less notice,
but can make no guarantee of finding an interpreter/captionist.
- Concerns
or Issues: Communicate with your interpreter/captionist.
If they are using signs/words that don't make sense to you
or you have any other concerns, discuss this with the interpreter/captionist.
On the first day of class or early in the semester, let interpreters
know if you will be voicing for yourself or prefer him/her to voice
for you. Let the interpreters know your sign preference (ASL, PSE,
etc.), seating preference and/or concerns you are having that affect
your ability to understand the interpreter. If your concerns are
not resolved after talking with the interpreter/captionist, contact
one of the following:
- For issues with contract interpreters/captionists,
contact the D/hh specialist.
- For issues with staff interpreters
or the D/hh specialist, contact the DRS Director.
- Student Interpreters: Student interpreters may observe your interpreter or actually
interpret during some of your classes. This is important for helping
more people to become qualified interpreters. These students will not
be observing you, but rather the interpreting process. The D/hh specialist
will inform you and the instructor before the student interpreter
begins attending. If a problem develops, inform the staff interpreter
working with the student so the situation can be resolved.
Last Modified:
January 29, 2007
top |
