Ensuring everyone at your event or programming has access to language is a fundamental component to access and inclusion.

Sign Language Interpretation

Ask Yourself

• Do you include signed languages in your language access?

Recommended Practices

There are several different forms of Sign Language, including American Sign Language, Black American Sign Language, and Signed English. Signed Languages are their own language and are not equivalent to captioning.  It is recommended to offer both captioning such as CART and a Signed Language. 

Scheduling a Sign Language Interpreter

For events, the individual department/unit/organization is responsible for procuring the interpreter. To schedule reach out to a University vendor and provide: 

• Onsite contact name and contact information 
• Date, start and end time of the event 
• Location: either Zoom event link or room and address of the location on campus
• Invoice information such as an P-card number or PO number
• Any information regarding the event that might help the captionist/interpreter prepare including names, technical terminology, and slides of presentations if available. These materials can be provided closer to the event start date.   

University Vendors:

1. Hands Up Communications (Links to an external site.), scheduling@handsupcommunications.com

Zoom Set up for Interpretation

The Language interpretation feature on Zoom allows the interpreters to provide their own audio channels for the language they are translating to and for Sign Language an separate window so the participate can see both the interpreter and the Zoom meeting session.

Zoom’s guide to using language interpretation 

To learn more about best practices for working with a Sign Language Interpreter visit this PDF.  Best practices ASL.pdf  

This Guide was created in partnership with collaborators and supporters across the University of Iowa.
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