For years, hearing-impaired and non-native law students have asked for help as it was hard to hear some professors and hard to hear what their fellow classmates said. After several months of research and testing, Law Information Technology (Law IT) launched its first public live captioning display during Dean Ouellette’s orientation for incoming students in August 2025.
Live captioning is now in every law school classroom and used for lectures and symposiums where possible. This tool supports all students, from those who are hearing-impaired as well as those who may not qualify for ADA accommodations. From a recent two-month poll, Law IT discovered that live captioning is benefiting areas they hadn’t anticipated — including international students, those needing notetaking support, and even hearing-impaired faculty and staff members. Building on this success, Law IT also assisted the Central IT office in rolling out a similar system for the undergraduate and graduate campuses, extending the impact of this initiative beyond the Law School.
Josie Duyck, director of the Law IT office explained the impetus behind this initiative. “While accommodations were already in place, we knew we could do more,” she explained. “As someone who is hearing impaired, I’ve seen how powerful this technology can be — not only in improving access, but in bringing people together. This project reminded me that technology can be more than a tool; it can be a bridge that connects us and helps create a campus where everyone feels included, supported, and empowered to thrive.”
Students and faculty agree with her. “As someone with audio processing issues, I’ve really appreciated the inclusion of captioning in our classrooms!” one student shared. An international law student noted, “As a non-native speaker, before live captioning was available, I relied on various tools… In my opinion, your initiative has been incredibly helpful, allowing me to concentrate more on the lectures themselves rather than on taking notes, which is a challenge for me.” A faculty member noted that “students love it, and I find that it has helped me a lot when sitting in the audience listening to visiting speakers.”
Looking ahead, Law IT is now moving into Phase 2 of this initiative, focusing on enhancements and new features identified during the pilot program. The goal is to continue improving accessibility and ensure that this technology evolves to meet the diverse needs of the entire campus community.
