Working with ASL Interpreters

Overview

The DRC has approved an accommodation for an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for a student in your course for communication access needs. They could be Deaf/Hard of Hearing, or they might have mutism (does not speak verbally). Some students may choose to speak for themselves, others may use the interpreters who will voice for them, and others may choose a mix of both.  When a student is using an ASL interpreter to communicate, there are some requirements to follow to ensure their experience (and yours!) is seamless. 

Fun Facts about ASL

  • ASL is recognized as a distinct language in the USA, with its own grammar and structure.  
  • Not all Deaf or Hard of Hearing people use ASL.  
  • There are over 300 different signed languages around the world; ASL is just one of them!  
  • Bellevue College offers ASL classes, taught by 3 Deaf faculty!  

Before Classes Start

ASL interpreters may need to translate complex vocabulary and technical terms. In order to do this, they will benefit from having prep materials ahead of time. Please send any relevant slides, handouts, textbooks, readings, or specialized vocabulary to the DRC in advance so we can send it to the ASL interpreters. If possible, you can also opt to add the ASL interpreters as Canvas ‘observers’ so they can access course content for prep. This is particularly helpful for courses with advanced scientific terminology, foreign languages, mathematical concepts, etc.

Be prepared to ensure other communication accommodations in your course, like accurate captions/transcripts for video or audio media, if applicable.

IMPORTANT! Please inform the DRC right away if:  

  • There are schedule/location changes for the class. 
  • The class is cancelled.  
  • The class will contain a unique activity that might require additional accommodations (complex group activities, field trips, presentations, etc.) 

During Class, You Will Need To:

  • Speak directly to the student, not to the interpreter. For example:  
    • Say, “What are your thoughts on this question?”  
    • Not, “Can you ask them what they think?”  
  • Be mindful of speaking speed and interpreting time.  
    • Interpreting requires a brief processing delay, so factor in some pauses when appropriate.  
    • People tend to speak much faster when they are reading a script or slides! Be mindful to slow down when reading.  
    • If ASL interpreters are working in a team of two, they typically switch every 15-20 minutes. Please pause to allow them to switch to ensure all information is interpreted. 
  • Only let one person speak at a time.  
    • When multiple people are talking at once over each other, the ASL interpreter cannot accurately convey what is being said.  
  • Ensure visual access for the student.  
    • When using an ASL interpreter, the student will be watching them rather than what is on screen. If you need a student to look at what’s on a screen or whiteboard (diagrams, charts, slides, etc.), allow for pauses in speech for them to do that before resuming.  
    • Don’t interrupt the line of sight between the student and the interpreter. Walking back and forth between them will disrupt communication access.  
  • Interpreters are NOT available for other tasks (i.e. passing out papers, tutoring/assisting the student, serving as a partner or group member on an assignment, etc).  
  • The interpreters should not be considered a participant in breakout groups.  
    • If each group has 4 students, the group with the interpreters should have 4 students plus the interpreters. 
    • Please set up breakout groups to ensure interpreters are assigned to the same group as the student. 
  • Assume everything you say will be interpreted.  
    • Do not talk to the interpreter as if the student is not there, including any details about the student’s performance or behavior in class, unless you want the interpreter to convey that information to the student directly.  

In-Person Classes

  • If the ASL interpreters are online during an in-person class: 
    • Make sure the ASL interpreters can hear what is going on in the room. That might mean speaking into a microphone and making sure that other comments from students are repeated into the microphone so that the ASL interpreters don’t miss anything.
  • Allow the student to choose where the ASL interpreter is positioned.
    • If you are using slides or a whiteboard, the student will likely choose to position the ASL interpreter close to the board or projector so that the student does not need to glance back and forth across the room in order to get all the information.

Online Classes

  • (In Zoom) Ensure the interpreters and the student using interpreters are given co-host or multi-pin capabilities at the beginning of each session so they can set the screen up visually on their end. The student may prefer to have the interpreters spotlight themselves.

Last Updated July 8, 2026