ISU faculty and students will be able to learn about existing and developing technology that helps the deaf and hearing impaired in the classroom at a teleconference Thursday.

The conference, “Using technology to enhance educational services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing in post-secondary education,” will be broadcast via satellite to several agencies, including Iowa State, at 1 p.m. in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union.

Todd Herriott, program coordinator of disability resources, said he believes the teleconference is important in order to bring more awareness, as well as understanding, about deaf and hard of hearing students.

“We recognize differences in learning techniques that students need,” Herriott said.

As well as being program coordinator, Herriott works with three full-time sign language interpreters recently hired by the university. Herriott said hiring full-time staff interpreters is less expensive than having interpreters from outside agencies.

“We found that by hiring staff interpreters, it could save the university approximately $100,000 per year,” he said.

Herriott said hiring full-time staff interpreters also gives more attention to students.

“We wanted to have more control over what the interpreters provided for students,” he said.

Sign language interpreters, in order to become certified, go into extensive training. Certified interpreters often have master’s degrees, internships and several years of experience.

Donna Fowler, one of the first full-time sign language interpreters to be hired at Iowa State, has been an interpreter for more than 10 years. She said she loves learning about and working with students.

“I learned [sign] language in my early 20s and fell it love with it and the challenge,” Fowler said.

Fowler also said she believes airing the teleconference on campus will accomplish a primary goal to increase access to technology.

“We want to increase overall access for students, faculty and the ISU community,” she said.

Fowler said a common impression many people have is sign language interpreters are just for students, which is not the case.

“We are here for the entire ISU community and not just deaf and hard of hearing students,” Fowler said.

“Our job is to make the community better for everyone and open new doors for everyone at ISU.”

Although learning levels of students vary, the interpretation of sign language varies.

Herriott said translation occurs when American English is translated into American Sign Language, called ASL, and vice versa.

“Some students are more English based, so it relies upon the individual student language preference,” Herriott said.

For more information on the teleconference or sign language interpreting, contact Herriott at 294-8369.