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Student Accessibility Services

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting and Captioning

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) works with registered students to coordinate the implementation of their accommodations; however, this requires that after the welcome meeting, students have the following responsibilities:

  • Use the AIM Portal at the beginning of each semester to notify instructors of accommodations.
  • Identify courses or course activities which will require interpreting or captioning. 
  • Provide the communications services coordinator (nlassit@clemson.edu) with a class schedule containing course and section numbers. 
  • Keep in contact with instructors and the communication services coordinator (nlassit@clemson.edu) concerning absences from class and other changes to the regular schedule. 

Students with inquiries about Communication Services at Clemson University, should contact Student Accessibility Service by calling 864-656-6848 or emailing cusas@clemson.edu.

Real Time Captioning

Students who are Deaf or hard of hearing can access lectures, class discussions and other events/presentations by having a highly skilled caption writer provide real-time text-based access to the spoken/auditory message. The student can view the captioning on a laptop computer or other device, delivered via a wireless connection. Within 24 hours of the lecture/discussion/etc., the student will receive an edited (for grammar and spelling only) transcript of the event.

ASL Interpreting

Students who are Deaf or hard of hearing often request interpreters from the SAS office when they register for classes. University departments that receive requests or anticipate needing an interpreter for public meetings or events should contact Access and Equity. To ensure the availability of interpreters, this office encourages individuals to make requests at least two weeks in advance.

After a student has registered, participated in their welcome meeting and requested notification letters to be sent to their instructors, SAS provides guidance to instructors regarding implementation of ASL Interpreting accommodations.

  • Interpreters working for Clemson University are bound by the code of ethics developed by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, which specifies that interpreters are to serve as communications intermediaries only.
  • In a conference room or class environment, the Deaf student and the interpreter will work out seating arrangements with the interpreter usually located near the speaker. This allows the Deaf student to view both the interpreter and the speaker. 
  • Events on campus, including classroom proceedings, will require two interpreters to maintain the integrity of the process. The interpreters typically will swap out every 20-30 minutes with no interruption to the presentation.

Cued Language Transliteration

Cued language transliteration is provided by SAS to ensure that oral communication is accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing students who identify visible English or cued language as their primary mode of communication. A certified cued language transliterator attends class and presents lectures, classroom discussions and other environmental information to the student as well as repeats questions and comments made by the student using visual cues into spoken English.