|
Adjustment |
Barrier it addresses |
What the teacher does |
What to avoid |
|
Live captioning or a note-taker |
Real-time speech is easy to lose track of, especially with multiple speakers |
Arrange consistent captioning or note-taking support for lectures and seminars |
Provide it only when a problem is raised |
|
Assistive listening system (hearing loop / FM system) |
Standard room acoustics and background noise reduce audibility |
Confirm the system is working before the session and use the microphone consistently |
Assume the room is automatically suitable without checking |
|
Preferential seating with clear sightline |
Lipreading and visual cues require an unobstructed view of the speaker |
Reserve a seat with a direct line of sight to the speaker and any interpreter |
Rearrange the room without considering sightlines |
|
Interpreter / communication support worker |
Some students rely primarily on sign language rather than spoken English |
Coordinate timetables so support is booked and confirmed in advance |
Treat interpreter booking as the student's sole responsibility |
|
Written back-up of verbal information |
Announcements, deadlines, and instructions given only aloud are easily missed |
Repeat all key verbal information in writing (slide, handout, or message) |
Rely on a single verbal announcement for anything important |
|
Mainstream technology familiarity |
Specialist equipment is not always available, but built-in mainstream accessibility features often are |
Learn and use commonly available captioning/transcription features as a fallback |
Assume specialist equipment is the only route to access |
|
Regular check-ins |
Missed information is not always obvious to the student in the moment |
Offer brief, proactive one-to-one check-ins rather than waiting for a problem to be raised |
Wait for the student to identify and report every gap themselves |
Communication access is an accessibility issue to be designed for, not something the student is expected to compensate for individually.