Communication Services

Image credit:
Keegan Houser

CART Captioner in a classroom.

What We Do

DSP Communication Services provides assistance to enrolled D/deaf or hard-of-hearing students so that they may obtain aids or accommodations to university academic programs, services, and activities. Students should contact their Disability Specialist for assistance as these needs arise.

Student Walking to DSP Office.

Eligibility For Services

In order to be eligible to receive communication services from DSP, the applicant must be registered as a UC Berkeley student and provide appropriate documentation of their disability to DSP. To request communication services, please visit:https://dsp.berkeley.edu/students/new-students 

Faculty Communicating with Student.

Who We Serve

The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) is committed to ensuring that D/deaf and hard-of-hearing students are able to participate in all programs, services, and activities offered on this campus. The Disabled Students' Program (DSP) is a primary resource available at UCB to help students with their communication assistance needs.

Realtime Captioning Services (RTC)

Realtime Captioning is the instantaneous transcription of the spoken word into text. This text can be viewed on a mobile device, computer, tablet, or large screen.  Realtime Captioning enables people who are hard of hearing or D/deaf equal access to fully and actively participate. Realtime Captioning is widely used in classrooms, discussion sections, labs, meetings, seminars, orientations, and other campus activities. 

Student Realtime Captioning FAQs

Faculty and Staff Realtime Captioning FAQs 

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)

DSP can provide a portable Assistive Listening Device (ALD) or an FM unit to assist with hearing in class. This can be used in conjunction with realtime captioning or on its own. An ALD increases a student’s ability to hear in numerous situations, such as rooms that are large, crowded, or noisy. The speaker wears a microphone that transmits directly to the listener’s ear. DSP will loan ALD receivers to hard-of-hearing students upon request. ALDs are available to be checked out for an entire semester.

Some classrooms...

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting

American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language. The shape, placement, movement of the hands, facial expressions, and body movements all play important parts in conveying information. ASL is widely used in classrooms, discussion sections, labs, meetings, seminars, orientations, and other campus activities.

Student ASL FAQs

Faculty and Staff ASL FAQs

Student AIM Communcation Services FAQs

Staff and Faculty AIM Communication Services FAQs

Captioned Media Services

DSP provides captioned media for students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. Audio content of a television clip, webcast, film clip, or short video is converted into text and displayed on a screen or monitor, also known as closed captions.  Captioned media displays spoken words as texts and includes speaker identifications, sound effects, and music description.

Student Captioned Media FAQs

Faculty and Staff Captioned Media FAQs

Contact Us

260 César E. Chávez Student Center
Berkeley, CA 94720-4250
dsp-captioning@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)
Phone: (510) 664-4746
TTY Relay Service for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Only: (510) 642-6376
Fax: (510) 643-9686

Utilize priority enrollment to sign up for classes

As a DSP student, you receive priority enrollment so that you are able to predict your class schedule in advance, and in turn, you are able to provide DSP with advance notice of your need for Communication Services.