VRI Can Make Your Campus Deaf-Friendly

It’s not uncommon for those who attended college to reminisce many years later and fondly refer to his/her experience as the best years of his/her life.

There are many factors that help make college life so rich and rewarding and of course, one of the most important elements is the diverse learning environment.

No matter the chosen field of study, students are able to have deep and meaningful interactions with both peers and professors through the sharing of ideas and open-minded debates.

In other words, one of the best aspects of college is the ability to learn in community and be in community.

But for the Deaf student who desires to pursue higher education, there are significant barriers to entering into the circle of his/her peers. Additionally, there are barriers that make it difficult for the Deaf student to engage with professors, which, of course, makes understanding the subject material nearly impossible. There are even barriers outside the classroom… anywhere communication takes place on your campus can present challenges for a Deaf student.

VRI can help you remove these barriers and help make your campus Deaf-friendly.

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is a service that uses a high-speed internet connection and laptop computer or tablet to provide access to an off-site interpreter.

The Deaf student and hearing person are in the same room, while the interpreter is located remotely. In the classroom, VRI helps the Deaf student ask questions, interact with the professor, interact with other students and receive communication in his/her native language.

One considerable benefit of video-remote interpreting is that it avoids the issue of travel.  Depending on where your college or University is located, you may not have access to a pool of qualified interpreters and eliminating interpreter travel expenses can be a tremendous cost-savings!

The other major benefit is that communication can happen within minutes. If a Deaf student wants to communicate with anyone on campus, he/she no longer has to wait until an interpreter is available. Within minutes of contacting us, this conversation is possible. This makes VRI especially useful in financial aid offices, medical clinics, student organizations, study groups and wherever communication takes place!

Not only that, but many Deaf students seem to like not having an interpreter walking into class with them and it affords them a greater sense of independence. Students love VRI! 

Click here to learn more about VRI or Contact us.