Department of Access Services (DAS) | National Technical Institute for the Deaf

The Department of Access Services (DAS) provides the RIT community with interpreting, notetaking, and real-time captioning services. Our goal is to provide the highest possible quality of access to communication.

Access Services serves more than 1,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing RIT students to register and fully participate in roughly 23,000 credit hours annually in more than 200 highly competitive academic programs. These services also facilitate communication among Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students in various extracurricular activities, including student clubs, entertainment, sports events, and other RIT programs and services.

What We Do?

RIT has the largest staff of professional sign language interpreters in all of higher education. More than 130,000 hours of interpreting services are provided annually. In addition to classroom interpreting, students, faculty, and staff may also request interpreting services for non-academic activities such as athletic events, religious services, student government meetings, guest presentations, and other student life activities.

This service uses real-time captionists to provide a thorough English text display of classroom lectures and discussion. Students read this text during class and receive access to review or print it as permanent class transcripts.

Trained student notetakers record information during class, discussions, and multimedia presentations. Class notes are then placed on the Web for access. Thousands of hours are provided annually by more than 400 student notetakers.

myAccess is a custom-built website for RIT students, faculty, and staff to create and track access service requests, including interpreting, real-time captioning, and notetaking. Users are able to log on with their RIT usernames and passwords. They can request either Interpreting or Captioning services for their courses or non-academic activities (Special Requests).
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Service Requests

DAS handles course requests and special requests. Course requests include interpreting, captioning, and notetaking services for students' enrolled classes. Special requests are for access services outside of scheduled classes. Examples include study group meetings, community presentations, one-on-one meetings, staff meetings, athletic events, and so forth. Learn more