With two campuses serving the city of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada, Douglas College offers bachelor and post-degree programs to thousands of students every year. Through its Accessibility Services department, Douglas College works to ensure that students with disabilities achieve equal access to educational opportunities. 

Since 2009, Douglas College has partnered with TypeWell to provide transcribing services for students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Using TypeWell, Douglas College is able to offer real-time communication access using well-trained, professional transcribers who help support student success.

A supportive environment for all learners

Douglas College is known for blending the academic opportunities of a university with the career-preparation of a college. The college is also a welcoming place for diverse students of all abilities.  

As Communication Access Coordinator Miriam West says, “Douglas College has a great support network for students with disabilities. The model that we use here is not used by all institutions but it’s one that works really well for the students.”

One testament to the college’s unique advantages are returning students.

“We’ve had students leave and come back—they’ve gone to another institution where they weren’t as pleased with the services, so they’d come back. I think that speaks volumes for the kind of support the students get when they’re here,” Miriam says.

The learning environment at Douglas College helps improve the student experience.

Miriam says, “We don’t have a spread out campus. Everything is pretty much in one place so students can get comfortable. Class sizes are small, too, which is something that’s quite attractive to deaf and hard-of-hearing people. I think sound quality for hard-of-hearing students is probably better than in large lecture theaters, which are popular in universities.”

Centering communication access

Douglas College is committed to ensuring all students have the services and resources they need to thrive. For over 14 years, TypeWell has supported this mission.

“TypeWell allows us to provide another option for communication access. Our obligation as an institution is to meet the needs of each student and TypeWell allows us to do that,” Miriam says.

Accessibility Services at Douglas College is committed to giving students a range of choices when it comes to accommodations, especially around communications.

Miriam says, “It’s important for students to have options for communication access. There’s sign language interpreting, TypeWell transcription, and then captioning services—students get to pick which one suits them the best among the three.” 

Canada has three academic semesters per year. Douglas tends to have between 20 and 25 deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the fall and winter semesters, and around 10 in the summer semester. About half of these students choose TypeWell or captioning services. 

Before asking them to decide, it’s important that students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can experience their options firsthand. 

“We let the students know the differences between TypeWell and CART.  They get to think about it and, if they want, they can try them out. Whatever works for the students is what we provide—we do our best to make sure they get what they need,” Miriam says.

Giving Douglas College students autonomy and flexibility is key.

Miriam says, “Although culturally Deaf students don’t tend to request TypeWell (usually opting for Sign Language Interpreting), we did have a student who chose different communication access modes, depending on the course content. They would use captioning or transcription for vocabulary/jargon-dense courses and then Sign Language Interpreting for the more interactive courses. ”

The value of TypeWell

When asked what stands out to her about TypeWell, Miriam discusses the quality of transcriber preparation.

Communication Access Coordinator Miriam West

“Training is the big one for me. I have not had any complaints about the services provided by our transcribers—they’re clearly doing the job well. And students request the service over again, which tells me they’re getting what they need. TypeWell has done a great job at getting people trained and out there,” Miriam says.

She appreciates TypeWell’s quick, responsive support as well. 

Miriam says, “With TypeWell, we know we can reach out and get to them. Anytime I’ve contacted Director Kate Ervin and the team, there’s always been support. TypeWell is doing a great job with this service, that’s for sure. And it impresses me. TypeWell is dependable.”

Miriam also notes the value students find in the transcripts TypeWell provides.

She says, “Sometimes we would have both deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the same class: one getting sign language interpreting services and one getting TypeWell services. When that happens, we allow the students to have both services. Deaf students have really appreciated having a TypeWell transcript – note like format – understanding that TypeWell is more of a communication access service than a note-taking service.”

It’s not always easy for Douglas College to secure enough transcribers to meet the demand. 

“Because I’m in a post-secondary institution where the number of students fluctuates and there is a shortage of transcribers, if a student requests a service and I can get it for them, they’re really happy,” Miriam says.

Setting transcribers up for success

The Accessibility Services team at Douglas College recognizes the importance of actively supporting transcribers.

“There are little things Douglas College has that make it a special place to be. I do my best to support transcribers. I’m a main point of contact for all the contractors, whether it’s sign language interpreting or transcribing. And I make it clear to them that they should reach out if they have any needs whatsoever,” Miriam says.

Having a readily available point of contact is especially important for technical troubleshooting. 

Miriam says, “As an example, in a hybrid classroom if a mic breaks down, the transcriber can text me and it’s usually a quick fix. I’m sensing that it’s rare in other institutions to have someone available all the time for the troubleshooting piece. Transcribers also [need] a main point of contact if they want to stop in and run something by someone. I encourage that kind of communication. If you need help with anything, if you need a sounding board, please come by.”

As Miriam observes, having a touch point is key for transcribers who work exclusively as independent contractors.  

“I think transcribers have valued the ability to connect with somebody at the institution because they are contractors, not employees. So it’s not like there’s another area in the college they can reach out to. I try to make it more comfortable,” Miriam says. 

Douglas College’s support for transcribers is comprehensive.

Miriam says, “We have the equipment on site. We provide lots of prep and materials. We connect transcribers well ahead of time with the classes, so that they’re ready and prepared for the work.”

As a sign language interpreter who understands the needs of the deaf community and service providers, Miriam knows how important it is to set transcribers up well in advance. 

“I know that interpreters need prep because if they don’t have prep, the student is not getting great access to communication. So I view all of the contractors that way. If you’re a TypeWell transcriber, I assume you need the textbook and you need everything that anyone else would need so that you’re prepared for the work,” Miriam says.

This awareness about helping transcribers succeed is another way in which Douglas College stands apart. 

Miriam says, “I don’t know that everyone understands the needs of interpreters or the needs of transcribers. It’s a hard one to get your head around, unless you have some connection with the Deaf or hard-of-hearing community.” 

In most cases, it’s not for lack of trying that people miss the mark. 

“Many people don’t have the experience in their life to understand what the needs are—not because they’re not trying to learn. And I know for myself, if somebody’s talking to me about something that I don’t have a realm of reference for, it goes in one ear and out the other. It’s nice to hear, but it won’t make any sense until I actually have to implement it,” Miriam says. 

Ensuring equal access

As hybrid classrooms increasingly become the norm, the Accessibility Services department at Douglas College is taking steps to ensure remote students don’t miss out. 

Miriam says, “We try to always have one transcriber in the room and, depending on the context,  we may have another one working remotely. Of course, being in the room means you get to run the equipment, so if the mic isn’t working, somebody knows, and somebody can do something about it more quickly.”

She expresses concern regarding other institutions who lack the ability to place transcribers in the classroom. 

“I’ve heard of situations where students are given an iPad and an instruction to sit close to the front so the mic on the iPad can pick up the lecture. If that’s what the remote transcribers are working with, I think that it would be very difficult.  I can’t imagine the iPad mic being strong enough to actually pick up what’s needed for the whole lecture,” Miriam says.

Douglas College invests in quality equipment to optimize sound quality in the classroom.

Miriam says, “We have purchased USB mics and Lapel mics to improve the sound quality between the classroom and the remote transcriber. And I have had to depend on remote transcribers. I’ve used transcribers from Ireland, Toronto, and Vancouver, all remote in the same semester.”

Using remote transcribers in tandem with in-person transcribers helps Douglas College better meet student needs. 

“That’s allowed my semester to work because I have people that can work remotely. I think that’s a benefit to keeping transcribers in the industry as well—if they can do another thing and be away but still do the job, then that helps keep transcribers in the industry which is helpful,” Miriam says.

For the Accessibility Services team, TypeWell is a well-appreciated asset.

Miriam says, “I work with an incredibly great group of transcribers who were all trained by TypeWell. I feel very lucky to have retained them as long as I have. They’re very professional. They do their job well and I’m really glad to have them here. So thank you, TypeWell.”

Douglas College is one of the largest degree-granting colleges in British Columbia, educating close to 25,000 students a year. The Accessibility Services department is dedicated to helping make Douglas College an accessible and welcoming place for all students. Learn more here. 

TypeWell develops software used by professional transcribers to provide communication access. Using advanced speech-to-text transcription software, transcribers provide real-time access to communication for people with hearing, visual, physical, or learning difficulties. Find out more here.

**All images courtesy of Douglas College