Stanford
Diversity and Access Office

Deaf and Hearing Disabilities

Stanford is committed to ensuring its facilities and programs are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Auxiliary aids and services (assistive listening devices, captioning, sign language interpreters, etc.) are available upon request. If you are an event host and have received a request for captioning and/or sign language interpreting, please complete the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Request Form. The Diversity & Access Office will assist accordingly.

Below is more information about auxiliary aids and services.

Sign Language Interpreting

Please contact the D&A Office if you wish to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for a Stanford faculty or staff member or a University-sponsored event (e.g., speaker).

Deaf Services of Palo Alto (DSPA)
Cell and text: (650) 856-3647
services@dspa.org
Visit DSPA website
Contact: Gerry Mack (director)
P.O. Box 60651
Palo Alto, CA 94306

Bay Area Communication Access (BACA)
American Sign Language, tactile interpreting and CART services are available.
Voice: (415) 356-0405
TTY: (415) 356-0376
bacareq@bacainterp.com
Visit BACA website
443 Tehama St.
San Francisco, CA 94103-4111

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART)

CART providers convert spoken word into instant text in a real-time format, typically via laptops or television screens. This service is generally used by people who are hard-of-hearing or deaf and unfamiliar with American Sign Language (ASL). Please contact the D&A Office if you wish to request in-person CART services or for a list of local CART providers.

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) & CART Remote Interpreting

Sorenson
Visit Sorenson website

The Kyle Duarte Company
Visit The Kyle Duarte Company website

Please contact the D&A Office for more information about requesting VRI or remote CART services.

You can also find captioning vendors (SUID required to access) from the Office of Digital Accessibility – the list will be updated as new agreements are established.

Telecommunication

Third-Party Communication

California Relay Service (CRS)
Voice: (800) 806-1191
TTY: (800) 806-4474

The 24-hour California Relay Service (CRS) allows hearing individuals to communicate with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. CRS operators transmit spoken and typed messages between TTY and voice callers, allowing people who use TTYs to communicate with other telephone users who do not have TTYs and vice versa. Relay operators receive calls, speak the typed portion of the call to the non-TTY user, and type the spoken portion to the TTY user.

Voice to TTY: (800) 735-2922
If you don't have a TTY and want to call someone who does, call (800) 735-2922. Tell the operator the number you are calling. The operator will dial your call, then read what the TTY user types and type to them what you say.

TTY to Voice: (800) 735-2929
If you have a TTY and want to call someone who doesn't, call (800) 735-2929. Similarly, the operator will assist in placing the call and will transmit information by either typing or speaking to the parties involved.

CRS operators can also facilitate conversations for individuals with speech impairments through Voice/Hearing Carryover (VCO/HCO). The individual with normal speaking ability should converse as usual by directly addressing the speech-impaired individual who would converse by typing their part of the conversation. The CRS operator would then read it aloud to the other party.

For more information about accommodations for individuals with speech and/or hearing impairments, contact CRS customer service:
TTY: (800) 806-4474
Voice: (800) 806-1191

Teletypewriters (TTYs)

A teletypewriter (TTY), also referred to as a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), is used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate by telephone. A TTY is equipped with a small keyboard and display monitor, allowing users to communicate by typing their messages. The following University offices have a departmental TTY, and the phone numbers and maps for these locations are listed below:

Office of Accessible Education (OAE)
TTY: (650) 723-1067
Voice: (650) 723-1066
View OAE location on the map

Diversity and Access Office (D&A Office) – ADA Compliance
TTY: (650) 723-1216
Voice: (650) 725-0326
View D&A Office location on the map 

Portable Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) at Stanford

Diversity and Access Office

Portable ALDs are available for loan for use in classrooms and small meetings.
Voice: (650) 725-0326
Email: disability.access@stanford.edu
Kingscote Gardens
419 Lagunita Drive, Suite 130
Stanford, CA 94305-8550

Stanford Event and Labor Services

Concert venues, athletic venues, large classrooms, and auditoriums on campus have permanently installed assistive listening systems. In addition, portable assistive listening systems are available upon request for smaller classrooms, conference areas and meetings rooms. Contact Event Services to inquire about options for portable assistive listening systems for your events. If a portable sound system is being included for an event, an assistive listening system should be added to the work request. Advance notice is required; please work orders for portable sound/assistive listening systems as soon as possible.

Sennheiser MobileConnect

For information on how to install and use the Sennheiser MobileConnect app, please visit the MobileConnect page.