(OFF) Alex Gonzalez. Social Education student at UNED
(INTERPRETER) Hello, are you Alex?
(Alex) Yes, who are you?
(INTERPRETER) I'm Isabel, the interpreter who will be recording the video with you
(Alex) Ah, nice to meet you
(INTERPRETER) Same here
(OFF) Alex and his interpreter communicate through sign language
(Alex) Hello, my name is Alex. This is my sign,
and I'm studying the degree in Social Education at UNED in Madrid.
I am a deaf person, a user of sign language, which is my mother tongue.
I find many difficulties when studying at the UNED.
For example, when attending classes, the difficulty of finding sign language
interpreters, because if we do not have that resource
it makes it impossible for us to access the classes and the content itself.
I also have difficulties when we have to develop the work assigned to us by
the various teachers, either viewing videos or listening to the radio at UNED,
because there are obviously no adaptations to provide us access to that content.
The exams are usually written examinations mainly text,
but it is very difficult for us to develop ideas in written language,
and perhaps one of the best adaptations would be to convert these exams in test type examinations.
Any solutions for the future? Well, I think to incorporate sign language interpreters
in the classroom to facilitate access to the contents, tuitions,
that there is the possibility that classes
are also recorded so that if the student, can't have
a face to face interpreter in the classroom, the classes can be followed through videoconferencing
or through an online platform.
When developing the work teachers assign us, by using
the materials in a certain format, they can provide text,
apart from the existing audio.
And that exams are also adapted for deaf people, so if the review
implies some added or previous work, that material is also adapted.
I hope these adaptations can be carried out because I think that if they do,
the participation of deaf people in higher education would increase
and, of course, it would be much more accessible to us all.
Also in regard to handling calls, a frequent need when having to contact
teachers and others, for people who are deaf, it would be essential to facilitate access
to this service through a sVisual video-interpretation platform,
because it is an accessible system for deaf people that gives us the power to perform
all kinds of administrative procedures, etc. Or even contact teachers through sVisual.
(OFF) Alex uses videoconferencing on a computer to communicate
through a sign language interpreter.
He says he wants to talk to a teacher at UNED and the interpreter connects him.
(Alex) I wanted to talk to a professor at UNED via phone number 913 980 000.
(OFF) The interpreter speaks on phone to the teacher,
and at the same time uses sign language with Alex signing by videoconference.
(TEACHER) Hello?
(INTERPRETER) Hello, good morning. Please could I speak to Alejandro? Is that you?
(TEACHER) Yes, hello.
(INTERPRETER) Yes, look, perfect, I am calling from the sVisual service. It is a videodisplay service
in Spanish sign language for deaf people. Right now there is a deaf person
called Alex, who wants to contact you. I'm going to interpret the call, okay?
(INTERPRETER) I will pass you on.
(TEACHER) Thank you.
(Alex) Hello good day. You see, my name is Alex
and I wanted to contact you for the following reason,
in relation to the subject you teach. I am a student of your subject and wanted to ask
how should I send you the essay for this course, this subject.
(TEACHER) Look, Alex, you must submit your work through the virtual course,
and to do so before the exam of the subject takes place.
(ĂLEX) With regards to emergency calls 112,
there are adaptations for deaf people, done through the mediation service
by contacting a device called DTS. DTS is a text telephone you use
with another text phone they have in
the mediation service, in a text message you can indicate whatever emergency you have, by
contacting a specific telephone number. That way the attention is immediate.
It is a service that operates 24 hours a day.