Students

• Sign Language Interpreting: Sign language interpreters convey all auditory and signed information so that both hearing and deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals may interact. 
• Tactile Interpreting: Tactile interpreters work with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals who have a visual impairment and receive communication through touch. 
• Real-Time Captioning: A real-time captioner uses a stenography machine to provide a typed record of the lecture that is almost instantaneously readable on the student’s laptop.
• TypeWell: A transcription system that provides communication access and note-taking services whereby a transcriber utilizes a computer containing Typewell software featuring abbreviation techniques that transcribe class lectures and discussions. The student reads the transcription in real-time from a second "reader" computer, which they can also use to type questions, comments, and notes. 

For speech-to-text services, transcripts are provided to students via email within 48 hours. If you need to make other arrangements to obtain notes or transcripts, please contact your DSPS counselor or the ISO. 

If the student arrives late, the speech-to-text service provider will not begin transcribing until the student arrives.

Students who are deaf and rely on ASL as their primary mode of communication typically benefit from interpreters, whereas those who are hard-of-hearing and do not rely on ASL may benefit more from speech-to-text services. When in doubt, meet with your DSPS counselor to discuss options and decide which services to request.

Student service requests are prioritized in the following ways::

• Date of request.
• Classes with more than one deaf or hard-of-hearing student are prioritized as “grouped classes.”
• Academic courses are prioritized over nonacademic courses (unless required or vocationally related).
• Students approaching graduation or program completion will be prioritized for their required classes.
• Courses offered on a limited basis are prioritized over those offered more regularly.

Make an appointment to see your DSPS counselor, especially for priority registration (typically two months before the semester). Once you have decided what classes to take and when, request services through your DSPS counselor, who will help you complete paperwork and submit your ongoing service request through the ISO. Make sure to provide as much lead time as possible, as requests are prioritized by submission date.

• To request services for academic-related events outside of your regular class time - such as instructor appointments, meetings, tutoring, etc. - contact your DSPS counselor as soon as possible (at least five working days prior to the event) and provide them with event details like date, start and end time, location, and type of event. 
• For off-campus academic-related field trips, please contact your DSPS counselor as soon as possible (at least two weeks prior to the event) and provide them with event details like date, start and end time, location, and any relevant instructions for the service provider. Your counselor may want to discuss your field trip or activity if it is not required for the class
• The ISO is limited to providing services for classes that deaf or hard-of-hearing SDCCD students are currently enrolled in as well as state-sponsored activities outside of the classroom that are required to complete academic requirements. For events and activities that are not academic-related or course-required, please contact the specific department that is hosting or sponsoring the event as soon as possible, as they are responsible for funding and providing accommodation for deaf or hard-of-hearing students for such events. The necessary contact information can typically be found on the activity’s promotional materials, flyers, invitations, etc., or your DSPS counselor can help you locate it.

• To request a specific service provider, please describe to the ISO what you are looking for in terms of desired skill set. We may not be able to fill specific requests for individual service providers, but we will try to match the provider’s skills to the student’s request.
• To replace a service provider due to communication challenges, we encourage students to first talk to the service provider, who as a professional should welcome constructive feedback. If, after providing feedback, a student still wishes for a replacement, they may contact the ISO to seek other solutions.

Students are required to give the ISO at least 24 hours notice when canceling service due to absence for any reason. (If your class is on 9am Monday and you cancel by 9am Sunday, this is acceptable as our cancellation channels are available 7 days per week). Cancellations can be made by emailing iso@sdccd.edu or leaving a video or voice message at 619-550-3389. Contacting your service provider is not a proper procedure. This policy allows ISO staff to cancel services or assign service providers to awaiting student requests.

If a student does not provide the minimum 24 hour cancellation notice (for any reason, including illness or emergency), their first absence will be counted as no-show and they may receive an “absence notice” in the mail. This is a warning; services will not be suspended unless there are additional no-shows.

For second and subsequent no-shows, the student's ongoing services will be suspended for that class and they may receive a “suspension of services notice” in the mail. (No-shows may be waived when the class is grouped with more than one student receiving the services). 

Services can only be reinstated through your DSPS counselor (not the ISO), so be sure to contact them immediately to discuss your situation and receive assistance. If your DSPS counselor is not available, you may contact any DSPS counselor at your campus or request to meet with the DSPS program manager.

It’s helpful to find and designate a “volunteer note-taker” for each class at the beginning of the semester. In the event of your service provider’s absence, the volunteer can type notes (or write them on NCR paper provided by DSPS) and share a copy with you. Another option is to utilize a voice recorder or transcription app. Be sure to communicate the provider’s tardiness or absence to the ISO as soon as possible by emailing  iso@sdccd.edu  or leaving a video or voice message at 619-550-3389 so further disruptions to services can be prevented.

Please inform the ISO (not just your service provider) of any changes to help ensure consistent service and communication. 

Please review the below forms and familiarize yourself with important policies, procedures, and responsibilities. You can download and fill out these forms as they are requested by your DSPS counselor.

• Services Policy Agreement Form (typically requested at the beginning of each semester)
• Student Responsibility Form (typically requested at the beginning of each semester)
• Field Trip Services Request Form (as needed)

The ISO and its service providers do not provide tutoring, advice, or personal opinions.

We encourage you to navigate to Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS), particularly the Disability Rights, Responsibilities, and Academic Accommodations section.

Any questions, concerns, or confidential matters can be communicated to your campus DSPS counselor (City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, College of Continuing Education) or the ISO (iso@sdccd.edu or 619-550-3389).