Transcription Can Help Colleges and Universities Achieve ADA Compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in a variety of areas, including education. The ADA requires that colleges and universities provide accommodations to students with disabilities to ensure equal access to academic programs and activities. One accommodation that is often necessary is the provision of transcription services.

Transcription is the process of converting spoken language into written text. For students with hearing impairments, transcription services can be a critical accommodation that enables them to fully participate in lectures and other classroom activities. Transcription services can also be helpful for students with other disabilities, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who may have difficulty keeping up with the pace of spoken language.

Under the ADA, colleges and universities are required to provide accommodations that enable students with disabilities to participate fully in academic programs and activities. This includes providing transcription services when necessary. To determine whether transcription services are necessary, colleges and universities must engage in an interactive process with the student to determine the nature of the disability and the accommodations that will be needed.

Once it has been determined that transcription services are necessary, colleges and universities must provide these services at no cost to the student. The ADA also requires that transcription services be provided in a timely manner, so that students with disabilities are not placed at a disadvantage in their academic pursuits.

Additionally, academic institutions should ensure that their transcription services meet legal requirements for accessibility. This includes complying with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which sets standards for electronic and information technology accessibility, as well as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide guidelines for making web content more accessible.

Despite the legal requirements, providing transcription services can be a challenge for colleges and universities. Transcription services can be time-consuming and expensive to provide, particularly for large lecture classes with many students. In addition, finding qualified transcriptionists who can accurately transcribe complex academic material can be difficult.

To address these challenges, it’s usually the best option to work with an outside transcription partner, such as Atomic Scribe. We offer academic discounts that actually put our rates below industry standard, but without sacrificing any quality.

Transcription services are an important accommodation that enables students with disabilities to fully participate in academic programs and activities. Under the ADA, colleges and universities are required to provide transcription services when necessary, and to provide them in a timely manner to the student.

While providing transcription services can be challenging, colleges and universities must ensure that they are meeting their legal obligations to students with disabilities. Having a reliable transcription partner is an important step in ensuring this obligation is met.