Community/Engage
Community Building
Academic Communication Equity-BC (ACE-BC) believes in the power of connecting and creating space for dialogue, to increase the scale and reach of system change. We believe collaboration leads to learning, leadership and innovation. We invite collaboration with institutions, community partners and organizations, educators and specialists to leverage resources and improve student outcomes.
Community Showcase
Special Projects
Special projects on Accommodation Inventory, Universal Design, and Student Narratives and Portraits….
Stay tuned.
Special Projects
Special projects on Accommodation Inventory, Universal Design, and Student Narratives and Portraits….
Stay tuned.
ACE-BC Student Narratives Project Invitation
We want to hear your stories!
Academic Communication Equity BC (ACE-BC) is seeking Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind students (current and past) to participate in a webinar panel and video/photo series project. We are interested in sharing your stories about your experiences in post-secondary education – to help us learn about your challenges and your successes and challenges with access and inclusion.
If you are interested in participating in this project, join us on March 17; 5:00-6:30 on Zoom to learn more about the project. You can contact us at Office@ace-bc.ca for full details!
ACE-BC Student Narratives Project Invitation
We want to hear your stories!
Academic Communication Equity BC (ACE-BC) is seeking Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind students (current and past) to participate in a webinar panel and video/photo series project. We are interested in sharing your stories about your experiences in post-secondary education – to help us learn about your challenges and your successes and challenges with access and inclusion.
If you are interested in participating in this project, join us on March 17; 5:00-6:30 on Zoom to learn more about the project. You can contact us at Office@ace-bc.ca for full details!
In January 2020, ACE-BC launched our Community of Practice and Engagement (COPE) strategy. Shortly afterwards, this engagement framework became critical for assisting institutions with the sudden switch to online learning, as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. ACE-BC established weekly virtual gatherings, along with CAPER and ATBC to support institutions with accessibility challenges and concerns in the online learning environment.
This ongoing support served to develop and share best practices while also identifying potential areas of collaboration. Smaller working groups have been established to address topics of accessibility, test-taking, accessibility in learning management systems, online platforms, technology, and captioning practices.
Together, we bring our collective findings, systemic thinking, passion and innovation to help create equitable access and inclusive learning environments.
For an interactive list of our Partner Organizations please visit our resources page.
Did you know? Deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind individuals in Canada and other parts of the world can use a Video Relay Service to make phone calls and communicate with people that can hear? Deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind individuals connect with a sign language interpreter/operator via webcam or mobile phone video. The interpreter then connects to the individual that can hear through the phone. The interpreter facilitates communication between the two individuals,acting as a neutral party for the communication to flow through. If you receive a relay call, don’t hang up, it is likely a Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind individual looking to contact you.
You or the people in your office may experience VRS if a student calls to book an appointment or has questions about their education or access accommodations. Many students who use ASL as their first language prefer to call through the VRS service and express themselves in their native language rather than communicating through email or other written text media such as letters. You can also check with the students if they have a VRS number where they can be contacted should your office have phone appropriate communication needs.
infographic photo credit by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
We want to hear from you! Send us a message via our Contact Us form using the subject COPE and we’ll send you an invitation to be part of the bi-weekly sessions.
Where to learn ASL?
There are many places within our province that offer sign language courses. Some courses are designed for individuals who are completely new to sign language and others are for people who are more experienced. Individuals have the opportunity to study for personal enjoyment or take courses at post secondary institutions that provide full transfer credits for courses that are successfully completed.
Burnaby School District online https://online.burnabyschools.ca/
Douglas College
Beginner ASL – American Sign Language Level 1 | MODL 1161
Program of Sign Language Interpretation
Vancouver Community College
Part time introductory – Sign Language Studies
Full time – ASL and Deaf Studies
Queer ASL http://www.queerasl.com/
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Basics of Sign Language
University of British Columbia Sign Language Beginner 1
University of Victoria American Sign Language Courses
Camosun College American Sign Language: ASL Basic 1
Sign of the day – Canada – https://www.handspeak.com/word/search/index.php?id=309
https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/proclamations/proclamations/IntDyWkDeaf2018
ASL for University – https://www.handspeak.com/word/search/index.php?id=2296
Sign of the Day and Web/Apps related to ASL
Handspeak- https://www.handspeak.com/
Signing Avatar App- https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/sign-4-me/id312882992
LingVano- https://www.lingvano.com/asl/
Signing Savvy- https://www.signingsavvy.com/
The ASL App- https://theaslapp.com/
Sign School- https://www.signschool.com/
Additional support became essential with the pace and continuous evolution to online learning needs. Accessibility/Disability services personnel and ACE-BC were lacking sufficient resources to conduct vital research in response to the ever-changing technologies and increasingly complex landscape.
Thanks to the support from the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, additional funding has been targeted to address these challenges and identify best practices for ensuring equitable access is achieved. The key points and focus of this research project are:
- Identify the approaches to accessibility in the context of transitioning to online teaching used by the institutions in British Columbia
- Identify the gaps in online teaching that impact students with mobility, sensory, and print disabilities
- Develop a list of suggestions that address accessibility challenges to institutions participating in the project
Surveys to relevant stakeholders in the system, in conjunction to the academic and grey literature review are currently underway. At the same time testing of accessibility as well as assistive technology within various learning management systems and other online platforms, is being conducted. A report of the findings and guidelines are expected in May 2021.
In addition to the TypeWell Transcriber Shortage Project, and additional project was designed to further address the service delivery of remote transcribing which emerged as a topic of concern and was one of the recommendations to be addressed from the shortage analysis work.
Remote TypeWell is the provision of TypeWell real-time speech-to-text service where some, or all, TypeWell transcribers are not physically present in the location where communication is taking place (such as a classroom). It requires that post-secondary institutions have the ability to provide high-quality and stable audio access to the remote transcriber(s). This is often achieved via Skype or similar programs using a robust wireless internet connection, though some post-secondary institutions have reported using a high-quality telephone system.
While the service itself is relatively easy to use once established, the process of preparing to provide the service for the first time was reported to be a significant barrier for many institutions—particularly those with limited resources. The goal of this resource is to reduce the challenges faced by post-secondary institutions in preparing to provide this valuable service for the first time. This resource and its appendixes contain both high-level considerations and practical information. Of particular interest will be the step-by-step guide to preparing to provide remote TypeWell service for the first time, contained in the section titled Remote TypeWell Preparation Guide. Information Sources In order to ensure the relevancy of this document, a community needs assessment was conducted by PCAS in 2019
DeafBlind post-secondary students face a significant number of barriers to equitable inclusion in post-secondary institutions (Arndt, 2011; Chanock, 2010; Ingraham, Belanich, & Lascek, 1998). This resource outlines key questions, considerations, and knowledge that are fundamental to both understanding and reducing the barriers faced by DeafBlind students.
Through this resource, we hope to support post-secondary access professionals who are working with DeafBlind students. The resource outlines key questions to consider when working with DeafBlind students and some of the services and technology commonly used by the DeafBlind community. However, it is very important to note that the DeafBlind community is extremely diverse and varied and that DeafBlind people use a wide range of approaches to communication and navigation.
One of the goals of the TypeWell transcriber shortage project was to attempt to understand the complexities that are contributing to the ongoing shortage of service providers for the post-secondary system. While the initial project of establishing this communication access service seemed to achieve the goal of creating a qualified pool of transcribers, the challenge of sustaining adequate levels of service has been ongoing.
Understand, Analyze and Respond
In order to enable post-secondary institutions to continue to provide this service, a closer examination was required to get at the root causes of the challenges. Historically, the shortage of TypeWell transcribers has been explored from an institutional perspective to the exclusion of transcriber experiences. A qualitative-led mixed methods project was designed to fill in that missing information, and thus focused on collecting data from current and former post-secondary TypeWell transcribers in British Columbia. By focusing on the motivating elements and challenges TypeWell transcribers face during their daily work, systems can be optimized to provide the most access to motivating elements while minimizing sources of frustration.
This project resulted in a report that included recommendations in nine key areas that can assist with addressing this service delivery challenge. An advisory group has been formed to help us achieve our objectives of implementing the recommendations in order to effect sustained change across the post-secondary system. The full report is available in our resources section. For further information on how you can get involved in this ongoing project, contact us here.
In January 2020, ACE-BC launched our Community of Practice and Engagement (COPE) strategy. Shortly afterwards, this engagement framework became critical for assisting institutions with the sudden switch to online learning, as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. ACE-BC established weekly virtual gatherings, along with CAPER and ATBC to support institutions with accessibility challenges and concerns in the online learning environment.
This ongoing support served to develop and share best practices while also identifying potential areas of collaboration. Smaller working groups have been established to address topics of accessibility, test-taking, accessibility in learning management systems, online platforms, technology, and captioning practices.
Together, we bring our collective findings, systemic thinking, passion and innovation to help create equitable access and inclusive learning environments.
For an interactive list of our Partner Organizations please visit our resources page.
Did you know? Deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind individuals in Canada and other parts of the world can use a Video Relay Service to make phone calls and communicate with people that can hear? Deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind individuals connect with a sign language interpreter/operator via webcam or mobile phone video. The interpreter then connects to the individual that can hear through the phone. The interpreter facilitates communication between the two individuals,acting as a neutral party for the communication to flow through. If you receive a relay call, don’t hang up, it is likely a Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind individual looking to contact you.
You or the people in your office may experience VRS if a student calls to book an appointment or has questions about their education or access accommodations. Many students who use ASL as their first language prefer to call through the VRS service and express themselves in their native language rather than communicating through email or other written text media such as letters. You can also check with the students if they have a VRS number where they can be contacted should your office have phone appropriate communication needs.
infographic photo credit by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
We want to hear from you! Send us a message via our Contact Us form using the subject COPE and we’ll send you an invitation to be part of the bi-weekly sessions.
Where to learn ASL?
There are many places within our province that offer sign language courses. Some courses are designed for individuals who are completely new to sign language and others are for people who are more experienced. Individuals have the opportunity to study for personal enjoyment or take courses at post secondary institutions that provide full transfer credits for courses that are successfully completed.
Burnaby School District online https://online.burnabyschools.ca/
Douglas College
Beginner ASL – American Sign Language Level 1 | MODL 1161
Program of Sign Language Interpretation
Vancouver Community College
Part time introductory – Sign Language Studies
Full time – ASL and Deaf Studies
Queer ASL http://www.queerasl.com/
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Basics of Sign Language
University of British Columbia Sign Language Beginner 1
University of Victoria American Sign Language Courses
Camosun College American Sign Language: ASL Basic 1
Sign of the day – Canada – https://www.handspeak.com/word/search/index.php?id=309
https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/proclamations/proclamations/IntDyWkDeaf2018
ASL for University – https://www.handspeak.com/word/search/index.php?id=2296
Sign of the Day and Web/Apps related to ASL
Handspeak- https://www.handspeak.com/
Signing Avatar App- https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/sign-4-me/id312882992
LingVano- https://www.lingvano.com/asl/
Signing Savvy- https://www.signingsavvy.com/
The ASL App- https://theaslapp.com/
Sign School- https://www.signschool.com/
Additional support became essential with the pace and continuous evolution to online learning needs. Accessibility/Disability services personnel and ACE-BC were lacking sufficient resources to conduct vital research in response to the ever-changing technologies and increasingly complex landscape.
Thanks to the support from the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, additional funding has been targeted to address these challenges and identify best practices for ensuring equitable access is achieved. The key points and focus of this research project are:
- Identify the approaches to accessibility in the context of transitioning to online teaching used by the institutions in British Columbia
- Identify the gaps in online teaching that impact students with mobility, sensory, and print disabilities
- Develop a list of suggestions that address accessibility challenges to institutions participating in the project
Surveys to relevant stakeholders in the system, in conjunction to the academic and grey literature review are currently underway. At the same time testing of accessibility as well as assistive technology within various learning management systems and other online platforms, is being conducted. A report of the findings and guidelines are expected in May 2021.
In addition to the TypeWell Transcriber Shortage Project, and additional project was designed to further address the service delivery of remote transcribing which emerged as a topic of concern and was one of the recommendations to be addressed from the shortage analysis work.
Remote TypeWell is the provision of TypeWell real-time speech-to-text service where some, or all, TypeWell transcribers are not physically present in the location where communication is taking place (such as a classroom). It requires that post-secondary institutions have the ability to provide high-quality and stable audio access to the remote transcriber(s). This is often achieved via Skype or similar programs using a robust wireless internet connection, though some post-secondary institutions have reported using a high-quality telephone system.
While the service itself is relatively easy to use once established, the process of preparing to provide the service for the first time was reported to be a significant barrier for many institutions—particularly those with limited resources. The goal of this resource is to reduce the challenges faced by post-secondary institutions in preparing to provide this valuable service for the first time. This resource and its appendixes contain both high-level considerations and practical information. Of particular interest will be the step-by-step guide to preparing to provide remote TypeWell service for the first time, contained in the section titled Remote TypeWell Preparation Guide. Information Sources In order to ensure the relevancy of this document, a community needs assessment was conducted by PCAS in 2019
DeafBlind post-secondary students face a significant number of barriers to equitable inclusion in post-secondary institutions (Arndt, 2011; Chanock, 2010; Ingraham, Belanich, & Lascek, 1998). This resource outlines key questions, considerations, and knowledge that are fundamental to both understanding and reducing the barriers faced by DeafBlind students.
Through this resource, we hope to support post-secondary access professionals who are working with DeafBlind students. The resource outlines key questions to consider when working with DeafBlind students and some of the services and technology commonly used by the DeafBlind community. However, it is very important to note that the DeafBlind community is extremely diverse and varied and that DeafBlind people use a wide range of approaches to communication and navigation.
One of the goals of the TypeWell transcriber shortage project was to attempt to understand the complexities that are contributing to the ongoing shortage of service providers for the post-secondary system. While the initial project of establishing this communication access service seemed to achieve the goal of creating a qualified pool of transcribers, the challenge of sustaining adequate levels of service has been ongoing.
Understand, Analyze and Respond
In order to enable post-secondary institutions to continue to provide this service, a closer examination was required to get at the root causes of the challenges. Historically, the shortage of TypeWell transcribers has been explored from an institutional perspective to the exclusion of transcriber experiences. A qualitative-led mixed methods project was designed to fill in that missing information, and thus focused on collecting data from current and former post-secondary TypeWell transcribers in British Columbia. By focusing on the motivating elements and challenges TypeWell transcribers face during their daily work, systems can be optimized to provide the most access to motivating elements while minimizing sources of frustration.
This project resulted in a report that included recommendations in nine key areas that can assist with addressing this service delivery challenge. An advisory group has been formed to help us achieve our objectives of implementing the recommendations in order to effect sustained change across the post-secondary system. The full report is available in our resources section. For further information on how you can get involved in this ongoing project, contact us here.