Hi Michael
 
Melbourne University has developed a live subtitling service for their students that they call 'Live Remote Captioning'.  More information is available here: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/development/lrc.html 
 
Please excuse my clumsy summary, but essentially a remote stenographer (subtitler) is supplied with a live audio feed from the teaching environment. English subtitles or captions are created. These captions are streamed to the internet. Students read the subtitles/captions online whilst sitting in the lecture/classroom. 
 
This has proven popular with students, and particularly effective in Australia as it allows universities to draw in skills and expertise from other locations. I do not know if this is identical to those options mentioned previously, however, in the case of your student, it this kind of approach would ensure that he receives his lectures at the same time as his peers, and has the opportunity to ask questions. 
 
Sarah Lewthwaite
 
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Mob/SMS: +44 (0)7903590121
http://sarahlewthwaite.typepad.com
 
Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI)
School of Education, University of Nottingham

From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. on behalf of Turner, Paddy
Sent: Mon 10/11/2008 11:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Accessibility of lectures for student with hearing loss

Hi Michael,
When we found a student in a similar position a few years back, we
started the process of creating an electronic note-taking (ENT) service.
We copied the idea from the RNIDs Speedtext service which wasn't
appropriate for our use at that time. (see:
http://www.rnid.org.uk/information_resources/factsheets/communication/fa
ctsheets_leaflets/working_with_an_electronic_notetaker.htm)
This development went on to become Stereotype and is now an independent
business, see this site for more info:
http://www.stereotypenotetakingsoftware.com/software.html

The student concerned was missing everything, de-motivated and
contemplating withdrawal. He now has an excellent job in his chosen
career following a 2:1.

Verbatim solutions can also be tried but they should come with warnings
regarding the expense, availability and problems with miscues. Using
voice to text solutions such as Dragon linked to the tutors mic have not
been satisfactorily tested but given the training required with the
tutor and the likelihood that several tutors will have to undergo this,
it doesn't appear very practical to us either.

We've now been using ENT successfully for something like 8 years and it
is no coincidence that the Universities with high numbers of deaf
students, Wolverhampton, UCLan, Bristol for example, all use some form
of ENT - because it works!

Good luck
best wishes
Paddy


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Woodman
Sent: 10 November 2008 10:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Accessibility of lectures for student with hearing loss

Dear All:

Wonder if anybody could offer any advice re: supporting a Biomedical
Sciences student with profound hearing loss who doesn't use BSL, but
relies entirely on lip-reading.

Despite our attempts to make lectures as accessible as possible, the
student finds it extremely difficult to get anything of use from
lectures. He uses a radio mic to support what hearing he does have, but
this clearly isn't enough. He has requested that he no longer attends
lectures, and that his note-taker support attends instead, as he feels
this will be a better use of his time.

Academic staff have actually agreed to this in the short term while we
figure out a different solution, but it isn't ideal.  His note-taker is
uncomfortable with this, and it's clear he is missing out on any student
/ lecturer  interaction that take place in these lectures.

One suggestion was that lectures are recorded for the student, and then
subtitled.  This would be a  large undertaking but  might it be
reasonable? Does anybody else have any other suggestions?

Thanks,

--
Michael Woodman
Disabilities Coordinator
Registry, Hunter Wing,
St. George's, University of London,
Cranmer Terrace, Tooting,
SW17 0RE.

www.sgul.ac.uk/disability

Tel: 020 8725 0143
Fax: 020 8725 0841
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