Hearing Disabilities
The Office of Disability Accommodation provides classroom accommodations for students with varying degrees of hearing loss. These accommodations include; placing a student with a mild hearing loss (10dB-30dB) in the front row of a classroom, assistive listening devices for a student with moderate hearing loss (30dB-50dB), Sign Language Interpreting services for students with severe(50dB-75dB) to profound (75dB-110dB) hearing loss. The dB ranges are simply guides to give you an idea of what sort of accommodations might be provided. Supporting information from an audiologist will of course be considered with the hearing loss as documented on your audiogram before accommodations are finalized.
A Certificate of Deafness and an Audiogram should be submitted to the ODA to determine eligibility and must include the specific accommodation (assistive listening device, interpreter, volunteer notetaker, etc.) that will ensure adequate communication and equal access. If a student fails to request accommodations in a timely manner (at the last minute, for example), ODA is not obligated to accommodate that request immediately. It will, however, be accommodated within a reasonable amount of time.
Sign Language Interpreting services are provided using full time UNT staff interpreters or part-time hourly interpreters certified by the State of Texas or the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Utilizing certified interpreters ensures effective communication access for our students. Communication access is provided in American Sign Language, Signed English and oral interpreting. Students may request specific interpreters or levels of certification. However, interpreter availability, cost and skill level (as determined by the ODA) are the deciding factors in determining which interpreter will work in your classroom. Interpreters are used for academic/classroom related assignments and can be contracted for non-academic university related functions, such as graduation, presidential addresses, meetings, etc.
To request interpreters for your regular classes, make sure you have registered with the ODA following these steps. Then complete the Accommodation Request form (pdf) and the Interpreter/Cart/Typist Request form (pdf). Please complete this process immediately after you have registered for your classes, or at least four weeks prior to the start of each semester.
Students are responsible for requesting interpreters for assignments outside of the classroom, such as meetings with advisors or professors, or additional tutoring appointments. These requests must be placed with the ODA at least 72 hours before the meeting or event. Complete the Interpreter/Cart/Service Provider Request form (pdf).
Students are also responsible for notifying ODA if they will not be attending classes so that the student services coordinator may notify service providers. Service providers will wait 15 minutes outside the classroom door. If their student does not show for the assigned class, the service provider will fill out the appropriate "no-show" log book. If the student misses three consecutive classes without notification, the services will be suspended. The student must meet with the student services coordinator in order to resume services.