Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services would like to welcome you to the University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg).
We are here to support you and your academic goals by providing quality supports/accommodations and ensuring equal access to everything that UWinnipeg has to offer. We offer accommodations such as ASL-English Interpreters and Transcribers/Notetakers to students who are Deaf or have a hearing loss.
Due to the nature of these academic accommodations, it is strongly recommended that new students book an intake appointment with the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at least two months prior to the start date of the academic term.
If you are a returning student, contact the Coordinator of DHHS two weeks prior to the start of term with your academic schedule details.
Students who are registered with Deaf and Hard of Hearing services also have access to the same accommodations as students who are registered with Accessibility Services (AS) such as Test/Exam accommodations. DHHS/AS requires medical documentation for all academic accommodations.
** If you are a Deaf and Hard of Hearing student that has been approved for additional accommodations, please send out Letters of Accommodations and book your test and exams through the Student Portal.
How to Register with DHHS
The first step is to make an appointment with a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Advisor.
Use the Appointment Request Form.
All information is kept confidential.
At your initial meeting, you will be presented with three main areas of accommodations offered through AS: Campus Accommodations, Classroom Accommodations and Test/Exam Accommodations. Together, you and your AS Advisor will determine which accommodations would be most relevant for your specific disability or medical condition. Your AS Advisor will inform you about required medical documents and answer any questions you may have.
All information is kept confidential.
Introduce yourself to your instructors by sending Letters of Accommodation through the AS Student Portal:
How to Request Letters of Accommodation Tutorial
Letters of Accommodations inform your instructors that you are registered with AS and are strictly confidential.
Supports/Accommodations for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
- American Sign Language-English Interpreter
- Transcribing/note-taking
- Priority seating in classrooms
- Meet your professors at the beginning of each term.
- Regular Check-ins
The role of the American Sign Language (ASL)-English Interpreter is to facilitate communication between people who do not use the same language; meaning between Deaf students, their non-deaf peers, and faculty/ staff at the UW. The interpreter will interpret everything that is being said in class (ASL to English and English to ASL), including student questions, comments as well as important environmental sounds like an alarm or a knock at the door. The ASL-English Interpreters not only interpret classroom lectures, but they are available to interpret for group discussions during class, study/presentation groups and on-campus events.
The role of the Transcriber is to facilitate communication for deaf and hard of hearing students in an educational setting. The Transcriber provides communication access by converting spoken language to text through means of either transcribing (real-time captioning) or note-taking services. Depending on the student’s preference, the Transcriber provides either a verbatim account (transcribing) or concise summary (note-taking) of classroom lectures, discussions, meetings, or campus events.