Students with hearing impairments

ENTRANCE TRAINING FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

University studies differ in many respects from attending a secondary school. Many students can therefore find the beginning of their university studies challenging as they are required to quickly find their bearings in a new environment. The Teiresias Centre offers new students with hearing impairments an entrance training, which takes place regularly before the start of the autumn term in the first half of September.

The training participants get acquainted with the Teiresias Centre, the services it provides, and staff members (interpreters, speech-to-text reporters, study counsellors and administrative workers, and others). The main item on the agenda, however, is the Masaryk University Information System (IS), which is used for all administration tasks related to studies. The participants get acquainted with this system and learn about all the important applications that they will need during their studies, and get detailed information on studying at MU with a hearing impairment. Part of the four-day event is a placement test in Czech and English. Based on the results, each student gets a recommendation for a specific language course (Czech for the Deaf 1 to 4; English for the Deaf 1 to 4) – for more details, see section Subjects common to all fields of study.
We highly recommend you participate in the entrance training, especially if you are a new student without any previous experience with university studies.

INTERPRETATION AND VISUALIZATION OF INSTRUCTION

Both students and instructors are entitled to interpretation or visualization of spoken language during instruction. Masaryk University provides translation between standard Czech (in exceptional cases and only when agreed on in advance also other oral languages) and the following communication systems of persons with hearing impairments:

1. Czech Sign Language
2. Signed Czech
3. Czech visualized either by accessible real-time transcription or by articulation

The manner of ensuring communication between instructors and students is guided by the Rector’s Directive on Ensuring Accessibility to Masaryk University for Persons with Disabilities.

Coordination of interpreting and transcription services

Interpretation and visualization always need to be arranged in advance. The Student Office staff will contact you to discuss the form of adaptation of individual subjects. In the case of one-off events related to your studies (e.g. intensive courses, practical training, graduation ceremonies, lectures or seminars organized by the university, etc.) please contact our coordinators of interpreting and transcription services no later than five working days in advance.

SUBJECTS COMMON TO ALL FIELDS OF STUDY

Apart from subjects in their field of study, students with hearing impairments take the following subjects common to all fields of study:

• Czech Language for the Deaf (if you prove good knowledge of Czech, you do not have to take this course);
• English Language for the Deaf (this course is a substitute for specialized English at the individual faculties);
• Physical Education.

The system of foreign language instruction follows the regulations valid for the entire Masaryk University (you can find them at the website of the Language Centre).