Frequently Asked Questions - Communication Services

AIM, the Accessible Information Management System, is a web-based database system that provides a means for DSP to communicate and interact with faculty, staff, and disabled students in one robust platform. It’s also fully integrated with Berkeley Student Information System (SIS/Cal Central) making coordination of services for students easier. 

For further information, please visit DSP's Accessible Information Management Sytem (AIM) page.

Accessing Accommodation Information in AIM

  1. Faculty and Instructors must go to the AIM Instructor log-in page and log in with your Berkeley CalNet ID and Passphrase.

  2. After an Instructor reads and agrees to the FERPA agreement, click "Continue to View Student Accommodations" to advance to the next "Overview" page.

  3. From the "Overview"page, an instructor can see a list of all DSP students, the main accommodations they requested, and whether or not an instructor has read the LOA (Letter of Accommodation). 

  4. Instructors can click "View" next to a specific student’s name to see the LOA (Letter of Accommodation). 

  5. At the bottom of the "Overview" page is a section that will show, if enabled, a list of students who are registered with DSP but have not requested accommodation for that course.

6. Search Students' Eligibilities: On the top right is a link to "Search Students' Eligibilities."  Selecting that option will allow instructors to see a list of student names and email addresses that can be exported. 

  7. Selecting "Click to Expand Advanced Search Panel" displays a list of student eligibilities that Instructors can use to search. (Some examples are given below). 

  8. Export Students' Eligibilities

    8a. Export Student List. Then export a list of all student eligibilities. The eligibility is based on whether a student is eligible for a particular accommodation.

    8b. Export Student Accommodation Requests. Exports a list of all the accommodations requested by students.

    8c. Export Student Courses with Eligibility. Combines the two reports for the student’s eligibility and requested accommodations.

  9. Add Proxies (Add Instructor)

    9a. On the top furthest right-hand corner of the page is a link to "Add Instructor."  Selecting that option will allow instructors to add/assign proxies to their selected course(s).

  10. From the "Add Instructor"page, faculty can select a course and enter the appropriate contact information of the instructor they would like to assign proxy privileges.

  11. Once complete, select the "Add Instructor" button at the bottom of the page, and that instructor will be sent an email to confirm their access as an Instructor or Proxy for the course to which they were assigned.

  12. Once they click on the link provided in the email and CalNet authenticate, their name, course information, and status will appear in the "List of Requests for Adding Instructors," similar to the example shown below, once processing is complete.

1. Log into AIM

2. Click the “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” tab on the left side.

3. Click “Submit Video Captioning Request” on the right side.

4. Select the appropriate class you are making the request for.

5. Click “Continue to View Request For This Class." You will then fill out the request form.

6. Fill out the form, ensuring that all spaces with a red asterisk are completed. Use the exact name of the video as it is listed in your Media Gallery. Please ensure that your file names are distinguishable from one another.

7. Indicate in the “notes” section if there are any special instructions.

 8. Click “Add Video List” 

My Media is the place on bCourses where all of your recordings and Zoom lectures are uploaded and housed. All of this content is unique and viewable only to you.

Media Gallery is for videos that are viewable by those with access to the bCourses site.

We will fulfill all of your captioning requests through your bCourses Media Gallery. 

Here is additional information on making content available: Service Now Knowledge Base

You can choose to share your captioned media with all of your students by placing it in your Media Gallery, or you may keep it private in your My Media folder on bCourses.  Here's how to share a video from your My Media folder on bCourses with your students: Berkeley Service Now How to Share My Media

For further information on how to share media on bCourses, please visit bCourses Video Sharing

There are two options to have YouTube media captioned:

• Submit YouTube media and request captioning through the DSP portal AIM.
• Submit public and unlisted YouTube links via bCourses

Submit YouTube media and request captioning through AIM

If the material is on YouTube, you should check to see if it’s appropriately captioned. If it is not properly captioned, you may submit the media and your captioning request through AIM.

*A warning about YouTube videos:  Often YouTube videos show the “CC” symbol indicating they are captioned. However, if you click on the “CC” symbol and it says “English (Auto Generated),” these captions are produced using voice recognition software and fall below the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and UC Berkeley quality standards. When used in the classroom, auto-generated captions may limit accessibility for the student with hearing loss. 

The auto-generated captions are sometimes so inaccurate that they prohibit proper comprehension of the material being presented. It is required that you always review the entire YouTube video to check the quality of the captions before showing it in class.  If the captions do not meet ADA and University requirements, you should request that the DSP have them captioned. 

Submit YouTube links via bCourses

This solution is useful if you are using several different Youtube links.

In bCourses, go to Media Gallery

In Media Gallery, click on Add Media

Choose Add New, then Youtube

**The prompt will indicate that only public videos can be used. This is not correct.  You may add unlisted videos as well.

Add the URL, then click Preview

Next, click the Play arrow in the middle of the video, and the video information will populate. Make sure to click the Save button.

Your video is saved. You can now submit the video for captions via AIM.

Accessing Accommodation Information in AIM

  1. Faculty and Instructors must go to the AIM Instructor log-in page (link is external)and log in with your Berkeley CalNet ID and Passphrase.

  2. After an Instructor reads and agrees to the FERPA agreement, click "Continue to View Student Accommodations" to advance to the next "Overview" page.

  3. From the "Overview"page, an instructor can see a list of all DSP students, the main accommodations they requested, and whether or not an instructor has read the LOA (Letter of Accommodation). 

  4. Instructors can click "View" next to a specific student’s name to see the LOA (Letter of Accommodation). 

  5. At the bottom of the "Overview" page is a section that will show, if enabled, a list of students who are registered with DSP but have not requested accommodation for that course.

6. Search Students' Eligibilities: On the top right is a link to "Search Students' Eligibilities."  Selecting that option will allow instructors to see a list of student names and email addresses that can be exported. 

  7. Selecting "Click to Expand Advanced Search Panel" displays a list of student eligibilities that Instructors can use to search. (Some examples are given below). 

  8. Export Students' Eligibilities

    8a. Export Student List. Then export a list of all student eligibilities. The eligibility is based on whether a student is eligible for a particular accommodation.

    8b. Export Student Accommodation Requests. Exports a list of all the accommodations requested by students.

    8c. Export Student Courses with Eligibility. Combines the two reports for the student’s eligibility and requested accommodations.

  9. Add Proxies (Add Instructor)

    9a. On the top furthest right-hand corner of the page is a link to "Add Instructor."  Selecting that option will allow instructors to add/assign proxies to their selected course(s).

  10. From the "Add Instructor"page, faculty can select a course and enter the appropriate contact information of the instructor they would like to assign proxy privileges.

  11. Once complete, select the "Add Instructor" button at the bottom of the page, and that instructor will be sent an email to confirm their access as an Instructor or Proxy for the course to which they were assigned.

  12. Once they click on the link provided in the email and CalNet authenticate, their name, course information, and status will appear in the "List of Requests for Adding Instructors," similar to the example shown below, once processing is complete.

AIM, the Accessible Information Management System, is a web-based database system that provides a means for DSP to communicate and interact with faculty, staff, and disabled students in one robust platform. It’s also fully integrated with Berkeley Student Information System (SIS/Cal Central) making coordination of services for students easier. 

For further information, please visit DSP's Accessible Information Management Sytem (AIM) page.

Yes, the student is able to participate in group work. When a class is held in-person, a captioner is present and often sits with the group in order to hear the speakers clearly. Remote classes are handled similarly in that the captioner will be present in the same breakout room/group component as the student. 

A student may also speak with the DSP Captioning Coordinator if they wish to omit captioning from any portion of their course. In the event a student elects to omit captioning from a component of their course, the instructor will be notified by the DSP Captioning Coordinator that the student does not need captioning for that specific portion.

We encourage students to discuss their accommodations with their professors, and they may reach out to you with what works best for them in your particular class.

The captioner will be named “Captioner” in your Zoom participant list.

When assigning a captioner to the student during breakout sessions, please look for the captioner as a participant (Captioner). Please ensure the captioner is in the same breakout room as the student receiving the accommodation.

Breakout Room Instructions

You can communicate with the captioner in the Zoom chat. The captioner will be listed in the participant list as “Captioner.” 

The captioners are captioning and monitoring multiple screens, so they will respond as they are able.

Each semester you must submit your requests in the DSP portal (AIM). It is best to request services as soon as you are registered so there is no delay in services.

Note: These instructions are also available in DOCX and PDF formats.

****Note that it may take up to two weeks to receive real-time captioning services once your request is submitted.

Logging into AIM and Finding Your Classes:

• Use your UC Berkeley CalNet ID and Passphrase to log into AIM.

• After logging in, make sure you are in the "My Dashboard" tab.
  
  
  
  

• Scroll down to the section titled “Select Accommodations for Your Class” to find your current registered class(es) with UC Berkeley. If you do not see a course you believe you are registered for, check the “Important Notes” in the yellow box above your classes.

Requesting Accommodations:

1.   Under “Step 1: Select Class(es),” select the class(es) for which you wish to receive communication accommodations by checking each course’s corresponding box (see the screenshot below).

2.  Click “Step 2: Continue to Customize Your Accommodations” to begin selecting accommodations for each class. If you have multiple accommodations available, they will all be displayed on this screen under each individual course you have selected. For example, in the screenshot below, the student is eligible for multiple communication accommodations.

3.  When you have finished selecting your accommodations for each of your classes, click the “Submit Your Accommodation Requests” button at the bottom of the page. This will submit your request for accommodations to the DSP office. Once processed, DSP will email your Faculty Notification Letter to both you and your instructors. At that time, your accommodations for the current semester will be listed on the “My Dashboard” tab.

1.From the AIM Dashboard, click on “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” located on the left side of the screen.

2. Click on “Available Transcript(s)” beneath the class title that you wish to view the transcript for.

3. Transcripts are listed by date. Click “Download Transcript” to view the transcript file.

Accessing Accommodation Information in AIM

  1. Faculty and Instructors must go to the AIM Instructor log-in page (link is external)and log in with your Berkeley CalNet ID and Passphrase.

  2. After an Instructor reads and agrees to the FERPA agreement, click "Continue to View Student Accommodations" to advance to the next "Overview" page.

  3. From the "Overview"page, an instructor can see a list of all DSP students, the main accommodations they requested, and whether or not an instructor has read the LOA (Letter of Accommodation). 

  4. Instructors can click "View" next to a specific student’s name to see the LOA (Letter of Accommodation). 

  5. At the bottom of the "Overview" page is a section that will show, if enabled, a list of students who are registered with DSP but have not requested accommodation for that course.

6. Search Students' Eligibilities: On the top right is a link to "Search Students' Eligibilities."  Selecting that option will allow instructors to see a list of student names and email addresses that can be exported. 

  7. Selecting "Click to Expand Advanced Search Panel" displays a list of student eligibilities that Instructors can use to search. (Some examples are given below). 

  8. Export Students' Eligibilities

    8a. Export Student List. Then Export a list of all student eligibilities. The eligibility is based on whether a student is eligible for a particular accommodation.

    8b. Export Student Accommodation Requests. Exports a list of all the accommodations requested by students.

    8c. Export Student Courses with Eligibility. Combines the two reports for the student’s eligibility and requested accommodations.

  9. Add Proxies (Add Instructor)

    9a. On the top furthest right-hand corner of the page is a link to "Add Instructor."  Selecting that option will allow instructors to add/assign proxies to their selected course(s).

  10. From the "Add Instructor"page, faculty can select a course and enter the appropriate contact information of the instructor they would like to assign proxy privileges.

  11. Once complete, select the "Add Instructor" button at the bottom of the page, and that instructor will be sent an email to confirm their access as an Instructor or Proxy for the course to which they were assigned.

  12. Once they click on the link provided in the email and CalNet authenticate, their name, course information, and status will appear in the "List of Requests for Adding Instructors," similar to the example shown below, once processing is complete.

AIM, the Accessible Information Management System, is a web-based database system that provides a means for DSP to communicate and interact with faculty, staff, and disabled students in one robust platform. It’s also fully integrated with Berkeley Student Information System (SIS/Cal Central) making coordination of services for students easier. 

For further information, please visit DSP's Accessible Information Management Sytem (AIM) page.

Yes, the student is able to participate in group work. When a class is held in-person, an ASL Interpreter is present and often sits with the group in order to hear the speakers clearly. Remote classes are handled similarly in that the interpreter will be present in the same breakout room/group component as the student. 

We encourage students to discuss their accommodations with their professors, and they may reach out to you with what works best for them in your particular class.

The ASL Interpreter will be named “Interpreter” in your Zoom participant list.

• Zoom lectures need to end at the scheduled end time, as both the students and the interpreters may have other obligations immediately following your class.

• Speak clearly, in a normal tone, and at a moderate rate. Do not rush through a lecture. If the interpreter does not understand or hear what was said, the interpreter may communicate with the instructor through the Zoom chat window. Please monitor your chat window for questions or requests from the interpreter.

• Be mindful of ambient noises. Shuffling papers, typing, or using a stylus will override the spoken word. Speak facing your device's microphone. When speakers turn away from the microphone or their head is down, the audio is muffled or inaudible, possibly resulting in missing crucial information.

• To ensure your audio is coming through clearly during your lecture, please check the chat frequently or ask if participants can hear you throughout your lecture.

• The interpreter can only interpret one speaker at a time. If there is more than one speaker present, they should not speak simultaneously. When multiple participants are speaking at one time, the audio does not stream through clearly. Please ask participants to mute their microphone until they need to speak.

• If the speaker plans to read material in the class, it is beneficial for the student and interpreter to have access to the material prior to the beginning of the class so they can follow along with what is being read.

• When reading a text in class, please make sure to cite the page number and paragraph that you are reading from so the student can follow along. Posting this information in the chat window also helps your students locate the material.

• The interpreter cannot sign and speak and/or type in the chat window at the same time. Please avoid asking non-essential questions of the interpreter during class time.

• If there are guest speakers or student presenters, please apprise them of DSP ASL Interpreting protocols.

• Whenever possible, please provide the ASL Interpreter with PowerPoints, handouts, charts, and other class materials in advance so they may be reviewed ahead of time. The best way to share preparation materials is by posting them to your bCourses site or by emailing the files to dsp-captioning@berkeley.edu

When assigning an ASL Interpreter to the student during breakout sessions, please look for the Interpreter as a participant (Interpreter). Please ensure the Interpreter is in the same breakout room as the student receiving the accommodation.

Breakout Room Instructions