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Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

Purpose and Foundation

DHHS Service Providers and the UAC

The University Accessibility Center (UAC) facilitates accommodations and services for students at Brigham Young University (BYU) who have documented disabling conditions. Skilled and well-trained interpreters and transcribers are an essential part of the UAC team and are expected to maintain a high degree of integrity and professionalism.

Service Providers play a critical role in the success of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition to providing communication for students to interact with teachers and others in regular classes, Service Providers also make it possible for students, staff, faculty and guests of the University who are Deaf or hard of hearing (hereafter referred to as clients) to access all school activities and services.

Disability Laws and Post-Secondary Education

Service Providers should be familiar with and work to ensure compliance with all applicable legal requirements regarding post-secondary education and persons with disabilities.

Applicable Legislation

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by Federal agencies, in programs receiving Federal financial assistance, in Federal employment, and in the employment practices of Federal contractors.

Section 504 (Amended) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act created and extended civil rights to people with disabilities. Section 504 has provided opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in education, employment and various other settings. It allows for reasonable accommodations such as a special study area and assistance as necessary for each student. For a full-text version, visit http://www.doleta.gov/disability/htmldocs/section504.cfm

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA provides that educational agencies and institutions that receive U.S. Department of Education funds may not have a policy or practice of denying parents and eligible students of the right to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records, except as specified by law.

Overarching Documents

All employees and independent contractors of the University are expected to abide by the “BYU Honor Code” as a condition of your employment/contract. Interpreters are required to adhere to the standards set forth in the RID “Code of Professional Conduct”. Transcribers are required to adhere to the standards set forth in the “TypeWell Transcriber’s Code of Ethics”. Please be familiar with these documents and use them as a reference in your decision-making processes.