SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
“For the first time I came to know the
names of my classmates”
– improving deaf students’ access
Sheenagh Hull
Disability Co-ordinator: Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students
Disabled Students’ Assessment & Support
Jan 2014
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
“For the first time I came to know the
names of my classmates”
– improving deaf students’ access
OR
How long is a piece of (shoe)string?
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
1st problem
2nd problem
Deaf and hard of hearing
students’ (poor) experience
in taught sessions
How to address the issue of
lack of knowledge – mine
and the sector’s?
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Deaf student
Me
I miss some of what the
lecturer says.
I know some things exist,
but not the practical details.
I don’t know what answers
the other students give.
I don’t know what’s
happening in other HEIs.
I don’t know how well I’m
doing.
I don’t know how well we
are doing.
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Deaf and hard of hearing students’ experience in taught sessions
What’s the problem? (deaf students)
EXAMPLE
Meghan at Edinburgh Napier
from ‘Deaf Teens, Hearing World’
BBC Three, dir Claire Braden, 2012
Link to video clip:
Meghan
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Deaf and hard of hearing students’ experience in taught sessions
What’s the problem? (Leeds students)
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Deaf and hard of hearing students’ experience in taught sessions
What’s the solution? (Leeds students)
Ways to address these difficulties/ways to
improve access…
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Deaf and hard of hearing students’ experience in taught sessions
What’s the solution? (deaf students)
EXAMPLE
Helen at Oxford
from ‘Hearing… but not as you know it’
St John’s College TV (SJCtv) 2012
Link to video clip:
Helen
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Deaf and hard of hearing students’ experience in taught sessions
What’s the problem? (my problem)
Some students need access through written texts, ie
turning the sound of speech into something visible.
But what equipment, technical support, operators are
needed?
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
How to address the issue as an individual member of staff
What’s the problem? (my problem)
There’s only me and I have little time or resources…
But I do have contacts…
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Starting small
What about bringing a few key people to Leeds? eg
• An informal workshop
• Bring or buy their own food
• Use their employer-related funding to cover any access
costs
I sent out circular to check interest = lots!
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Almost by chance…
Working with Dragos Ciobanu of SMLC to support a
student in SMLC, he had:
• Professional interest
• Technical expertise
• USEF
• Enthusiasm to work with others
We decided to work together
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Outcome
A one day national conference in June 2013
11 presentations from Leeds deaf students and national
practitioners
Exhibition area, with lunch and refreshments
80 deaf and hearing professionals (many turned away)
Techniques and technology demonstrated in theory and
in practice
Recordings made and presentations disseminated
Blogs written & comments tweeted
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
1st problem – the deaf student
EXAMPLE
Simate Simate
Zambian Masters student, Leeds 2012/13
The title of this session is his quote, after his 1st
experience of having a note-taker
Link to Dragos’ USEF page with recordings of presentations:
Dragos' USEF page
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Questions?
Other info:
• Consortium of Higher Education Support Services with
Deaf Students. Link: CHESS
• Sheenagh Hull, s.hull@adm.leeds.ac.uk, x37367
See also USEF supported projects
Alina Secara, Dragos Ciobanu (CTS, SMLC)
2012/13 project - used video resources (Adobe Connect) to enhance
student learning
Core PG module (8 staff, 100 students including one deaf & more
international)
• 3-5-minute pre-sessional videos (subtitled in English)
• live captioning of lectures (recordings searchable)
Another module
• Interactive live chat and later VLE discussion.
2013/14
Continuing with live captioning of this module(funding through USEF,
no deaf students)
SEC3 HANDOUT For the first time I came to
know the names of my classmates
Deaf student’s solution: Ways to use text to find out what is said
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Notes from the lecturer to brief in advance, and for reference.
A trained note-taker taking full tailored notes for later reference - usually handwritten and
available at the end of the session (or read ‘over-the-shoulder’)
An electronic note-taker (ENT) using a laptop. Summarised notes relayed to the student’s
laptop, using specialist software. Some gaps, some delay. Electronic notes available for
reference.
Speech to text reporter (STTR) using specialist software and hardware to produce verbatim
notes. Gives instant access. Full transcript can be provided (needs editing to be useful as
reference material). Trained operators are scarce. (Some services use re-speaking into voice
recognition software, then editing the output as needed)
Remote STTR listening to the lecture via Skype or other, producing verbatim transcript
displayed instantly on the student’s laptop. A larger pool of operators may be used, no travel
and reduced minimum fee. But dependent on reliable internet access and sound quality.(STTR
not able to see visual aids and speakers)
Using lecture capture technology but including the text produced by the ENT or STTR.
Available for all students to see. Lecturer/HEI in control of familiar tech. Operator can be onsite or remote.
Using lecture capture, online and chatroom-type applications for all the students (deaf and
hearing) to communicate through e-mail and text discussions.
HANDOUT Useful contacts
Disabled Students’ Assessment & Support
Chemistry West Building
Comprising:
•Reception – contact for all teams, including the Disability
Team
•disability@leeds.ac.uk x33927
•Disability Team – disability advisors working with applicants,
students, Schools and Services
•contact Reception or the Disability Coordinator direct
•Support Worker Team – co-ordinating and providing
specialist study skills tutors, note-takers, PAs, mentors, sign
language interpreters…
•supportworkerteam@adm.leeds.ac.uk
•RNIB Transcription Centre – advice and converting printed
text into accessible formats such as Braille, audio, e-text…
•trans@rnib.org.uk
•Mental Health Advisor – working with students in crisis or
with severe and enduring mental health conditions
•smha@leeds.ac.uk
•Leeds Assessment Centre – assessing disabled students’
study needs eg for equipment or support workers
•assessmentcentre@leeds.ac.uk
SEC3 HANDOUT For the first time I
came to know the names of my
classmates
My solution: Moving forward by having confidence & being flexible
How I got things moving
Practicalities
• Local support – do colleagues have any spare capacity at all? (donate photocopying paper,
clerical support, or help with shifting furniture or the registration desk on the day?) How much
will my manager facilitate it? (time, paper/ink, credit my effort?)
• University resources - SDDU, Learning Technologists, ISS, Teaching Technology Support,
School Disability Contacts… Access to facilities such as venues, cafes, wifi, parking…
• National contacts – I got someone who could process the payments for the sign language
interpreters, someone else sponsored an STTR for the day, others gave ideas and advice, sent
sample templates for booking forms, promoted the event…
Specialist expertise
• Local – current/recent students, practitioners, someone in ISS, individuals with relevant
knowledge in LDI & School of Education…. And of course, Dragos Ciobanu and USEF support
• National – HEA Techdis, professional associations, interest groups, sector contacts,
practitioners, commercial suppliers… Between them, we got advice, suggestions for presenters
and topics, demo equipment and exhibitors, guest presenters and facilitators, technical support
SEC3 HANDOUT For the first time I
came to know the names of my
classmates
My solution: Moving forward by having confidence & being flexible
Starting points
1. Freedoms may arise from doing something which isn’t required by your role or manager.
2. Feasibility? Allies? Is there interest amongst sector practitioners (eg jiscmail discussion lists)?
– if they want it to happen, someone will also help you make it happen. And you may unlock
other resources if you can show demand for the activity.
3. Think flexibly and keep things fluid initially – plan from the small and resource-light (eg skillsharing workshop/meeting) to the big (eg able to offer more to naïve participants).
4. Remember your key objective, but also respond to opportunities which arise – you may not
get your perfect content/outcome, but was that a bit idealistic? (If it goes well, it may trigger
other activities and contacts anyway.)
My findings
1. Doing one thing (sending an e-mail, requesting help, hosting a conference) triggered other
responses and opportunities – mostly nice or useful!
2. Any innovative activity probably takes more time and resources than anticipated originally.
3. Often additional time and resources are found, and often the activity generates more than
expected.
4. Immediate positive feedback may raise expectations of great impact, but don’t get despondent
if this isn’t obvious. There are also developments not easily visible, but potentially significant in
the longer term – at a personal level, professionally, or elsewhere in the sector.