Communication Services

ASL, Realtime Captioning, and Captioned Media

Background image: Large crowd of people eating lunch at Memorial Glade at UC Berkeley campus
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

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. Visit the New Student page to find more information about submitting documents and requesting services.

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.

CART/Realtime Captioning Services

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), referred to as 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 CART/Realtime Captioning FAQs

Faculty and Staff CART/Realtime Captioning FAQs 

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)

An Assistive Listening Device (ALD) increases a student’s ability to hear in numerous situations, such as large, crowded, or noisy rooms. The speaker wears a microphone that transmits directly to the listener’s ear. 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 CART/Realtime Captioning or on its own. ALDs are available to be checked out for an entire semester.

Some classrooms and auditoriums at UC Berkeley have Assistive...

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

Captioned Media Services

Captioned media displays spoken words as text and includes speaker identifications, sound effects, and music descriptions. The 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. While this accommodation is primarily used by those who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, those with other disabilities, such as auditory processing disorders, and non-native English speakers (English as a secondary language) can also benefit.

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