Special needs · Deaf and hard of hearing

Lessons you can follow by sight as well as sound

Pencil Spaces supports deaf and hard of hearing students with clear audio, large faces for lip-reading, a pinned interpreter, chat in every lesson and transcripts.

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Area

Sensory needs

Who it helps

Deaf and hard of hearing students, teachers of the deaf, interpreters, tutors, schools and families

What lessons need

Clear sound, visible faces, sign language access, captions or text, visual information

In Pencil Spaces

6 features available today, 1 coming soon

Part of

Special needs, need by need

What do deaf and hard of hearing students need from an online lesson?

Deaf and hard of hearing students use a mix of hearing, lip-reading, sign language and text. Online lessons work when faces are big and clear, interpreters stay in view and nothing important lives only in speech.

An interpreter always in viewPinned & Pop-out Video · AvailablePin the interpreter’s video so it stays visible while you work on the board.
Faces big enough to lip-readVideo Layouts · AvailableOne person full size makes lip-reading and signing easier to follow.
Clear audioNoise Cancellation · AvailableAI noise cancellation and echo reduction filter out background sound, so voices come through and the room doesn’t.
Text in every lessonChat · AvailableGroup and private chat are a text channel in every lesson, with the history saved.
Transcripts to read backTranscripts · AvailableEnglish-language recorded lessons come with a time-stamped transcript, with each speaker labeled.
Instructions written downText · AvailableType key instructions and words on the board, so nothing important is only spoken.
Live captionsLive Captions · Coming soonLive captions will show what’s said as text during the lesson, for students and tutors.

The features behind it

Why can online lessons be hard for deaf and hard of hearing students?

Video calls make lip-reading hard: small tiles, frozen frames and faces lit badly or turned away. An interpreter in a tiny tile is hard to follow while also watching a board.

Many online lessons put instructions in speech only. A deaf student can miss the task, then the next one.

What does a lesson look like in Pencil Spaces?

A teacher of the deaf pins the sign language interpreter’s video beside the board. Her own face sits in a large tile, lit from the front.

She types each instruction on the board before saying it. The student answers in chat and on the board, and reads the transcript of the recording afterwards.

Tips for teaching deaf and hard of hearing students online

Face the camera, with light on your face, and don’t cover your mouth.
Put every instruction in writing as well as speech.
Pin the interpreter, and give them materials in advance.
Check that hearing aids or implants work well with the student’s device.
Pause before and after showing something on the board, so the student can look, then watch you.

Good to know

Live captions are coming soon. For now, transcripts are available for English-language recordings, and chat is the text channel in every lesson.

Questions people ask

Pencil Spacesにはライブ字幕機能はありますか？

Live captions are coming soon, and they will show what’s said as text during the lesson. Today, chat is the text channel in every lesson, and English-language recorded lessons come with a time-stamped transcript.

Can a sign language interpreter join the lesson?

Yes. The interpreter joins the Space like any participant. Their video can be pinned to the board or popped out, so it stays in view while you teach.

Is Pencil Spaces good for lip-reading?

Video layouts include a single-speaker view with one person full size, and noise cancellation keeps audio clear for students who use some hearing. Good light on the teacher’s face matters too.

Can deaf students read back what was said?

Yes, for recorded lessons in English. Transcripts are time-stamped, with each speaker labeled, and lesson summaries give a written recap with action items. Chat history is saved too, so typed questions and answers stay on record.