So, I got into grad school. Now I need to decide what kind of accommodations to request for my classes.
As an undergraduate, I had note takers and interpreters. The problem with going to school in an Oralist stronghold…not a big pool of sign language interpreters to choose from. My college ended up hiring one full-time but before he came abroad, I went through the short list pretty quickly.
The interpreter I had is brilliant, one of the best in the area and a science fiction writer to boot, but before he was hired as a staff member, I had to deal with one who showed up late for my classes, and who had an unstable ex-army medic boyfriend and voiced in ASL. The problem with the crazy ex-army medic boyfriend wasn’t just that he was crazy, he was also an interpreter and they’d troll my signing hearing friends looking for someone they could take under their wing. Understand that this meant not only mentoring a fledging interpreter so they could expand their business but also finding a third person to join their relationship. There were suspicious personal ads appearing every week in the local free paper looking for a short brown-haired shapely woman, must be willing to learn sign language. What’s more, is that I had a straight male interpreter for my yoga class and he was visibly getting off on the class, looking down my shirt and ogling the other women in my class. The one that ended up becoming my interpreter for the next four years was a life-saver. He’s brilliant, handsome, muscular, witty, and not straight, so he fit in at a women’s college perfectly.
My note takers were usually good but it was difficult trying to decipher someone else’s writing and I always wanted my own notebook. It’s funny, but having a notebook of one’s very own is important. I was sad I didn’t have my own lined notebook filled with my own handwriting. I had to figure out how to organize my notes from the readings, the Xeroxed paper filled with someone else’s writing and the handouts from class. I always wanted to have a perfect notebook with neat writing and appropriately high-lighted phrases, but you know, people in hell want iced water too. Now at work, I have notebooks filled with to-do lists, ideas and strategies. That little composition book is such a pleasure, especially because it’s orange and has an elephant on the cover.
I didn’t even know about CART back then. If I knew, I would have asked for CART for my art history lecture classes. Perfect notes and it’d have been so much easier to process information in my first language, written English. I also wish I knew cued speech. I would be so set! No worries about missing content-specific vocabulary.
Now…I’m in DC and there are plenty of top interpreters in the area. I just have to give Johns Hopkins a list and I should be all set to go, that is, if they’re able to get the people I asked for. I’d like to try CART, though. So guys, what did you use and why? I really wish I could get CART and an interpreter but I know that it’s outrageously expensive to have both. Is that fair? What are “reasonable accommodations” to ask for?
Also, do you ever feel guilty because of how expensive you are?
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I used CART for my MS classes when I lived in New Jersey. Make sure you get the court-reporter / stenographer kind rather than voice-recognition / dictation kind. They’re much more skilled, and the dictating always was a distraction for me (I’m HOH and could hear the mumbling into the microphone). Also, stay away from C-Print… it’s good for summarizing, or maybe for grade school classes, but not nearly fast enough for college level.
I think CART and maybe a notetaker would be good. But it depends on the type of classes. I was in engineering and really needed the notetaker to get down the equations that didn’t translate into text very well. But I’m like you, I’d rather take my own notes. CART does let you do that without totally losing the topic. Also, don’t expect to want to read through the transcripts after every class… you have no idea how much text/chatter/words there are in a one hour class until you try to go back through it.
Good luck!
Congratulations, Erin!
I personally believe direct education is the way to go. And that means getting by without interpreting support or CART. I always believed that the act of sitting in a classroom while trying to capture each and every translated or captioned tidbit of information was a waste of time. Futile, so to speak. Everything just seemed to get lost in translation. But less so, with verbatim captioning.
If I had to do it all over, I’d go the e-learning route for being online with everyone else puts one on equal footing with classmates. The sense of hearing becomes no longer needed to ensure success and competitiveness.
But I know there are some extroverts out there who can’t handle education via machine. And the die-hard introverts would have to ensure that they get human interaction practice elsewhere! :-)
If your grad school doesn’t offer online learning as an option, perhaps you could request it as an accommodation and have the university prepare online versions of future course requirements? And while being just as costly as traditional accommodations, it’d be a win-win situation for everyone, hearing and deaf.
Oh yes, I enjoyed taking courses at RIT online. I had lousy and outstanding online facilitators. You will have a pleasant experience if you have a skilled course facilitator. One more thing, time management is the key to success distance learning.
Best of luck!
Wendy, I agree that RIT had some pretty nifty and accessible online courses back in our day. (BTW good to see you here!) The videos were even captioned. But it’s been what? 11 years? Nowadays, you can get your entire masters degree without ever leaving your desk at home. Check out http://online.rit.edu for info on those programs. And I’m sure all of the schools in DC have their own version as well.
Call me skeptical, I’m curious. But are there truly reputable graduate colleges that offer graduate degrees solely via online? We aren’t talking community, or military?
When I was at Smith, I used the CART and a notetaker for my classes. Most of the classrooms at Smith had ethernet ports, but a few didn’t so I had to rely on the notetaker only, which sucked. I hope Smith ends up getting a wireless network because that’d be so much easier for future deaf students so they can get CART at any location they’re at, whether it be club meetings, etc.
I also wish this was available here in the U.S.:
http://www.teletec.co.uk/capte.....aption.pdf
This type of service IS available in the US — it’s called remote captioning. It has its limitations — the speaker has to be close enough to the mic for the captioner to do a good job, it’s difficult for the captioner to know who’s speaking without seeing who’s in the room, they aren’t able to see what’s on the blackboard to know how to spell novel vocabulary, etc. It’s better than nothing though, and less expensive than bringing a CART reporter on site.
No, it’s not. Remote captioning can only be accessed by computers, not handheld devices such as PDAs or cellphones like Blackberry and Sidekick.
Cued language transliterating isn’t all it’s cut out to be. Nor is CART. I’m in grad school as well and have the best services I could possibly get, considering what’s been offered to me… and I still get frustrated.
Guilty? Yes, definitely. Told I’m too expensive, yes, definitely. Sighs.
“Cued language transliterating isn’t all it’s cut out to be. Nor is CART.”
Everyone has their own individual preference. I had one cued speech transliterator from firstgrade all the way through eighth and it was the best method for me. I encourage you to continue looking for what works for you. Sometimes you have to get creative. I tried speech recognition software on my computer in high school and my teacher did the diagnostic training and it was cool. (Eight years later, I think the technology is much more reliable!)
Adidas and Nike shoes aren’t all that cut out to be, either…
Guilty? See http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?p=237#comments
Wow. This is a great link. I also enjoyed the blog by Sharon on her experience. This is why I think there should be a national fund for accommodations structured like the TRS fund. Maybe we should start lobbying for this with other groups like wheelchair users, etc. Thanks for sharing!
I am surprised to hear that there are hospitals that don’t offer 24/7 coverage. I have worked the overnight shift at hospitals before, and yes it IS boring most of the time for me. But there were also times where something went wrong in the middle of the night and the patient and hospital staff were so happy to have an interpreter right there ready to jump up and assist.
I am being repetitive here, it depends on many factors. Does your professor require class participation? If so, do you prefer to use ASL or voice for yourself? Do you process information better in a particular language? Does your field include complex terminology/numbers? Prior to entering law school, I thought CART was the way to go - all those crazy latin legal terms!? Instead, I was given ASL interpreters, and it turned out to be the best accommodation for me. To truly understand law, you must be able to grasp the underlying justifications, principles, policy implications, philosophical questions, and so forth. When I study at home, I process those concepts through English. In class, seeing those concepts being translated into my native language makes a huge difference. I do not experience any “lost in translation” problem, since I have both - ASL in the classroom and English in my books/emails with my professors. But, of course only you know the best learning method for yourself.
I find your comment fascinating. Different strokes for different people, indeed! For the past four years, I have worked with hundreds of attorneys (although I am not an attorney and never will be). I also attend staff meetings, along with CLE presentations. CART is unquestionably the best method for me, because I feel that whatever the ASL interpreter tries to incorporate is lost through *her* own translation. No two individuals will translate an English sentence in the same ASL phrase, and no two individuals will “read” one ASL phase in the same way. See where I’m going? From professor to student (through intepreter), the message goes through two translations. CART, however, provides transcripts upon which you can interpret at your own convenience.
Just a couple of weeks ago, a few attorneys kept discussing this particular “test”, and later my supervisor asked me to run the same “test”, using a particular word. I was initially (and completely) lost as to what she meant, as the ASL interpreter hadn’t even fingerspelled that damn word; she just interpreted the “concept” behind it.
ASL in the classroom? Never. ASL in the workroom? Never. Not unless it comes directly from the messenger. ASL interpreters even impede socializing - by affecting the natural dynamics that take place between a hearing person and the deaf individual.
All of this is why I agree 100% with what Rob Rice wrote- e-learning really does put us on equal footing.
Wow. It’s hard not to take offense in your dissing of interpreters because I work as a Deaf Interpreter (not certified yet but working on it). I understand the frustrations with the translation process. That’s why it’s so important to have itnerpreters that you trust and know are skilled in interpreting your field of work. Vermont has a pretty healthy number of interpreters but very, very few are on my short list of interpreters deemed acceptable for interpreting for me at work. I hate, no LOATHE, interpreters who make me look dumb when they voice for me.
I tried CART once and could not stand it. I did enough reading for my classes and just felt “maxed out” with the reading of the CART transcript. For grad school, I had the top interpreters all the way through and it worked out fine. But like you said, “Different strokes for different folks.” ;)
JT, you are right, certain terms/ “tests” (or at least specific phrasing of these tests) are very important in law. I neglected to mention that my interpreters are THE BEST I have ever seen. It makes all the difference in the world if the interpreter is educated and brilliant. I had some subs - if they were - say - not-so-smart, they could not do it. Experience helps as well - I am their second deaf law student. My interpreters know which terms/tests/word order etc are important, and which are not. So, I never feel behind when they interpret. But, with my subs, I always have to study an extra hour or two to “catch up.” I guess, for Erin, she should do some research to see how experienced or educated the available interpreters are in her particular field if she is interested in this option. But JT/Rob are right - I am not quite on an equal footing when it comes to class participation. With an interpreter, I at least have a voice, even though it might be lagged. With CART, I am precluded from having a say.
When I was studying school psychology at Columbia University in NYC, I had top-gun interpreters. Of course, it was not hard to find them in NYC. I picked them myself. What I did was befriending the coordinator of services for students with disabilities. To my great delight, this coordinator turned out to be somebody with a genuine disability–he was legally blind. It’s my firm belief that all jobs that involve working with D/HH people or other people with disabilities should be held by D/HH people or people with disabiliities themselves. Anyway, I don’t speak at all. So, how did I manage to communicate with the blind coordinator? Interestingly, we communicated with each other by using his office computer. I’d type a sentence while the blind coordinator had his fingers on a separate device to “read” my message. He would then take over the computer keyboard and type his response to my questions or statements. We became kind of odd buddies. Someone once joked to me that it was like the blind leading the deaf. I retorted, “Actually, it was more like the deaf leading the blind.”
For my one-year course in neuropsychology, I had CART, and it was a lifesaver. Most of my hearing peers appeared to be nervous wrecks as they furiously took notes whereas I was taking it easy as I sipped my evening Starbucks. At the end of each lecture, the CART provider would give me a disk–mine to keep. At home, I would insert the disk in my computer to go over each of the lectures, and delete out irrelevant or unimportant lines, like, for example:
PROFESSOR: IT’S HOT HERE. COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE OPEN THE WINDOW.
STUDENT: HELLO DR. ERLANGER.
PROFESSOR: YOU DON’T LOOK HAPPY TO SEE ME.
STUDENT: I AM. I’M JUST LOOKING FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS.
STUDENT: THEY’RE ALL WRITING THEIR PAPERS WHILE WE STUPIDLY COME HERE TO HEAR MORE LECURE STUFF WHICH WE CAN’T POSSIBLY INCORPORATE.
(the professor chuckled, but the CART provider didn’t include the info that the professor chuckled)
PROFESSOR: I PROMISE YOU A CHANGE OF PACE AND YOU WILL NOT GO ANY LONGER TONIGHT THAN YOU WANT ME TO GO, SINCE IT’S A REDUCED GROUP.
Neat, huh? I loved it! It helped me to study for exams or write reports. If I had a question, I would write a note, raised my hand, and give it to the professor. Sometime, I’d make an appointment to see the professor with an interpreter.
Hope that helps.
I want to second Juan’s comments here. I currently go to graduate school, and receive CART services. I love it, it has been a tremendous help, and for the first time I feel I’m able to interpret it *my* way rather than someone else perception of what was said. As mentioned, being able to take home what was said is a tremendous help. You can even take your time reading, and write notes down while its being done. Often time I found myself re-reading what was said 2 minutes before to make sure I understood what was just said a minute later. Meanwhile, everyone else is struggling to keep up. I have had hearing friends ask for a transcript so that they can catch up themselves.
Kinda nice to be in that spot. The only disadvantage I found was that I became really dependent on it, and neglected to lipread the professor. So if my CART assistant showed up late, I was screwed and had to spent the majority of the time learning the lip patterns of the professor. Fortunately, for the most part I’ve found them professional enough not to show up late.
What an interesting post! It certainly has given me some serious food for thought, especially as I am myself considering going back to school, and will be facing these issues of accomodations.
Now, with apologies to Erin, I would like to get on my soapbox for a moment and “rant” about a related issue that I have been struggling with over the past few years…
I’m curious - how many of these individuals who are given the responsibility by the college or university to coordinate the “appropriate services” for Deaf or Hard of Hearing students turn out to be:
A) A hearing person who might have a background in disabilities, but knows very little about deafness, interpreting, or accessibility for deaf individuals, and ends up relying on YOU to provide the necessary information regarding the services you want or need? (This might be fine if you are a graduate student who has had some experience and exposure to those various services available and have some understanding of what you want and need, but what about a new undergraduate student who might not have such knowledge and is counting on the university to know what their needs might be?)
B) A hearing interpreter who was hired primarily because s/he has the interpreting skills that the university needs, and then has additional responsibilities tacked on that they are expected to do in between classes?
My point is…how often have you seen these positions filled by DEAF individuals who have utilized the various services themselves, understand the pros and cons of such services, understand that “different strokes for different folks” philosophy, and able and willing to work with each and every Deaf or Hard of Hearing person to make sure that his/her educational experience is as profitable (and hopefully as enjoyable) as possible? And who also understand that especially if you are an undergraduate residing in the dorm, services don’t necessarily end when the class is over?
I guess my point here is that I’ve been frustrated with seeing how often these positions end up going to one of the above folks, while well-qualified Deaf individuals are effectively shut out from applying.
Yes, I admit it - it’s happened to me…more than once. I applied for a job as “Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Coordinator” for two large midwestern universities, and both times was denied an interview on the grounds that “we need someone who has interpreting skills in case there should be a need for such in the classroom.” Well, if there is a need, I would hope the campus would have a qualified pool of interpreters to choose from. Okay, admittedly…there may be a shortage of such in some areas, and I hear that pool is shrinking even more with interpreters jumping on the VRS bandwagon. Yet still…and I would hope a Deaf Coordinator would be able to develop the kind of positive working relationship with the local interpreters that s/he would have a few that can be called “in a pinch” to help out. I know that I have had that luxury of knowing interpreters who might not normally take the job, but did so when I personally asked because of such working relationships.
I’m not saying that problems or issues like the one Erin has identified here would be “resolved” if a Deaf Coordinator was available…and I know there are plenty of good people out there who happen to be hearing interpreters. It just frustrates me that it always seems to be those hearing interpreters that campuses immediately look to when seeking potential employees to fill these types of positions, neglecting to realize that 75% of the responsibilities (meeting with students and assessing their needs, evaluating interpreter skills, coordinating necessary services, educating campus about deafness, etc. etc. etc.) could be done by the very individuals who once benefitted from the use of such services themselves!
Okay….(deep breath) - I’m getting off my soapbox now.
The simple fact is: money talks. There is currently a hearing interpreter in the role of an interpreter coordinator at the University of Vermont (where I work). She has set hours for when she does the coordinating work (I think 10 hours a week). The rest of the time is spent interpreting. She does NOT meet with deaf students for course-related issues or anything like that. There is a DEAF woman who does that. So I can understand why those two universities you spoke of would prefer to have a hearing interpreter for the job. I would suggest applying for a university position in the Boston area as there are many great opportunities for deaf people there and there is no lack of interpreters.
“Money talks” is indeed a fact in today’s culture (and I think Virginia is well aware of that), sadly. But is that a reason to cease discussion about whether that should be the case, especially on campuses when and where shoddy services are common?
You mentioned a Deaf woman at UV who meets with Deaf students for course-related issues, but a hearing coordinator? If I understand you correctly, that means there’s a Deaf woman employed to ensure Deaf students’ services are appropriate? That does sound like a great arrangement — then if a student had a problem with the interpreter coordinator not understanding his or her needs, the three of them could get together and work it out, correct? And no part of the arrangement (need to provide good terping, need to make sure student is provided access, etc) would be weak because of a need to “get the most bang for your buck.”
I agree with what Allison had to say, and in fact I do comment on this below, under Juan’s post. I do understand the need to try and get the “most bang for your bucks.”
But you’re just adding fuel to the very argument I’m making, Keri. Money DOES indeed talk…most of us who are Deaf are painfully aware of that fact - how many times have we heard the “money excuse” thrown around as justification for not getting the accomodations we need, and the accessibility we deserve?
Frankly, I think that’s a damn shame. The deciding factor shouldn’t be the cost - it should be the quality of services being provided. How many times have we had to put up with less than satisfactory services simply because of that vocalizing cash?
I worry about combining those two positions into one…I still feel that it could and should be viewed as a possible conflict of interest. How many times have we heard complaints about interpreter coordinators in Deaf agencies scheduling themselves for interpreting jobs where perhaps the Deaf client would have preferred someone else, or another interpreter might have been better qualified? Most Deaf agencies would be crying “foul”…or at least keeping a sharp eye on the situation to assure that this doesn’t become a significant problem. But we are expected to accept it as being the typical case on most campuses. What happens if I don’t want this individual as my interpreter? Will I be given the right to request the interpreter of my preference, or expected to go along with the school’s policy - since we all know money talks?
I also am curious about the fact that you do indicate they do in fact have a Deaf individual who meets with the students on course-related issues and the like. So if I understand you correctly, they do in fact have two separate positions on the campus to meet the needs of the students? I agree with Allison - this would be the ideal solution, and I would like to see more campuses adopt such. As Allison says, this would assure that the student’s needs are being properly met in the best way possible…with assistance from individuals whose focus hopefully is on assuring such, and not just on their own possible self-interests.
And while I thank you for your suggestion in regards to Boston, I’m not in a position to make such a move at this time.
Hi Virginia,
While I am all for a Deaf person serving as the coordinator of varied services for D/HH students, I can certainly understand why most colleges and universities are usually more inclined to hire somebody who is a certified interpreter rather than a Deaf person. That way, the coordinator, who is also a certified interpreter and responsible for finding and assigning interpreters can immediately jump in and interpret for a certain student if one of the assigned interpreters for that student should turn out to be a no-show.
BUT I have a good buddy who is Deaf and runs a very successful interpreting business for profit in New York City called the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Interpreting Services, Inc. (DHIS). His name is Joshua Finkle (www.deafnyc.com). I’d like to see more Deaf people like him running interpreting businesses.
Hi Juan ~
I too do understand why hiring a certified interpreter may seem more appealing - and when you’re faced with a tight budget (as many colleges and universities are), then sometimes the harsh reality is to hire the person for whom you can get the “most bang for your buck.”
It’s a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” sort of situation. But it does kind of play into that whole “how expensive we are” issue Erin talks about. I’m sure that for many such campus programs, services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing probably do make up the majority of dollars spent on accomodations. And even when it’s unintentional, we are - even in these subtle little ways - being reminded of that fact. Is it in fact reasonable to request that these campuses in fact consider two separate positions…a Deaf/HOH Services Specialist (who could and in my humble opinion should be a qualified Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual) and a staff interpreter position? Personally, I have always felt it was something of a “conflict of interest” for a person to be both a coordinator and an interpreter - do one or the other, but don’t try to mix the two positions together and force one person to wear both hats, especially with the same student.
As for Joshua and his interpreting business, I think that’s great! I do believe that there are a few other Deaf-owned interpreting businesses out there, but I admit that most I know are in fact run by interpreters.
Maybe we the Deaf need to start getting more involved in the interpreting profession (getting our CDI certification, attending RID conferences, etc.) and getting people to recognize that the provision of interpreting services shouldn’t rest solely in the hands (no pun intended - wink) of interpreters themselves.
Hi Erin - congrats!! you’ll do well
Everyone else has good input and I’d like to throw in my experience going to graduate school in another country. Since Ireland only had (at the time in 2001) 15 interpreters working in the entire country and most of them worked in Dublin, Tralee, and Cork. None of them wanted to make a 2-4 hour trek to Limerick where my school was. First month before they found a “speed typist” for me I got by on classmates notes and reading my materials in class. Some professors would give me a chance to say some things, but it wasn’t the same. Three hour classes can be numbing when you don’t know what’s happening.
Then enter the speed typist. She was clueless about acronyms and terminolgy used in international relations. Eventually she picked up on it and she improved from 4 pages per class to 16-20 pages. There is often time lapse and if I see an interesting debate I’d holler for my hearing classmates to stop to allow the typist to catch up. then I’d make comments. Better than nothing and it kept me from going nuts.
Another problem posted - giving presentations. So I was much more conscious of my English skills so I’d email my essays to my parents and sister in turns for them to edit. I’d use my voice to give an overview of what the essay would be about, give the class 10 minutes to read then I’d go back to the typist and read questions posted to me and I’d reply in voice. Least I had options and skills to make use of and I didn’t want to come across as an annoying American demanding things :)
lastly - online classes. it’s great and convenient, yes but sometimes you develop a bias against certain students and you don’t want to read his or her rambling comments. There’s no exciting dialogue and rebuts like in a classroom setting. One time my computer crashed for good and I racked up my credit card at Kinkos’
I was just starting to lose my hearing when I finished my undergraduate degree in California. Fortunately, I was in art school — so lectures weren’t a huge issue. I tried the notetakers a little bit, but they were all terrible. Only I can take notes that I’m happy with. I was the type of person that would write down nearly everything someone said.
I’m taking classes at Georgetown now, and although I still have some of my hearing left. Its steadily getting worse. I had hoped to use a digital recorder and then go back over the class at home, perhaps even using a program like iListen to transcribe, but the professors wouldn’t let me record in class (I’m not sure that this is even legal, but anyway, I have dealt with it). The class is only one day a week, and acoustics are generally good. (Although the students’ voices don’t carry as well as the teachers, who are used to projecting more.) None of this of course is the same should I have no hearing, but its another perspective I wanted to throw into here. I would like to go back to grad school, and worry about where my hearing will be in a year, but my attempts at ASL have been start and stop — and I, as people mentioned above, would still want to take my own notes. As I say, I come to that bridge when I cross it — I guess.
I recommend getting CART, where you have someone come to class and transcribe it (like a court stenographer). If you’re able to keep up with reading closed captioning on television, you’ll be fine with CART and can follow it better.
However, since you are recently hearing impaired, I can understand if you are reluctant to have a physical presence “helping” you and want to maintain some independence.
Out of curiosity, can one ask what you’re going to be studying in grad school?
Erin,
Can I get an application for the terp job at the woman’s college?
On a serious note, our sister company (Viable Technologies, Inc.) does remote real time captioning, with the Professor wearing a cordless phone (with lapel mic) and the computer is trained to recognize the technical jargon that a particular professor might use.
The neatest part is that you can get a ‘cleaned up’ copy of the text emailed to you. I always thought it would make the Deaf student the envy of the class. Full notes on every lecture, discussion, etc.
Leaves no room for interpreter error… But, you still need a terp if you’re going to give a presentation.
I feel like the Interpreter’s union will kill me if I don’t mention that we are a valuable cultural bridge- yadda yadda yadda…
*cough* Perv *cough*
He’s not the only one to think salacious thoughts about that.
*cough*
Did I say that out loud?
Note my statement, “He’s brilliant, handsome, muscular, witty, and not straight, so he fit in at a women’s college perfectly.”
I wasn’t talking about the yoga interpreter, but the other situation.
*ahem*
Erin,
Are you saying that Mr. Stuckless is the opposite of every adjective in your statement?
LOL. I feel sorry for Mr. Stuckless.
Erin, don’t answer Jim Bob’s question…
You’ll kill that personal ad I have posted on the DeafDC dating site. ;)
I want to add that currently, there is a new technology called TypeWell which is offered for deaf and hard of hearing students at the University of Vermont. It’s similar to CART but instead of typing word for word, it’s like a transliteration from spoken English to another form of written English. This technology is cheaper and easier to use (can train anyone as the person types on a regular laptop). Some students like this because it’s easier to follow but other students don’t like this because they absolutely want VERBATIM. The plus side of this particular Typewell typist at the University of Vermont is that she’s an interpreter so she can voice for students or sign to them if they prefer.
Here’s a tip for Erin: you can request for one interpreter and one CART or Typewell typist. The typist can type the lecture while the interpreter can interpret dialogue between you and students (good for discussion groups). If one of the two accommodations isn’t working out, you can always fall back on the one that is working for you. Everything depends on the type of class you are taking, of course. ;)
Congrats on your achievement and good luck!
That’s assuming your school doesn’t tell you, “No, too expensive, too unreasonable.”
Johns Hopkins shouldn’t be able to tell you that. They are a well financed university that receives a lot of federal funding.
Anonymous, tell that to the person that handles the budgeting for special services.
I agree with those who said that everyone has different preferences. You might try a variety of accommodations, decide what works best for you, and diplomatically insist upon that.
Here’s what I did while earning my Ph.D. in English:
* I tried both ASL interpreters and CART at various times (although never together). Both had advantages and disadvantages. CART was more cold and mechanical, but I got a complete transcript. Interpreters were human and better at handling the spontaneous, emotional element of personal interaction, but some were not qualified to handle the material. Once I found qualified interpreters, that was usually — but not always — my preferred way to go.
* I always took my own notes. I doubtless missed some stuff while I was looking down, but I want my own notes, because they include my own thoughts and reactions to the material. I find I learn information better when I take notes myself.
* I personally don’t find Rob’s suggestion of online courses appealing, although I know people who have done that and enjoy it. For me, much of the fun of graduate school came from face-to-face debate and interaction. But I’m a people person. I also liked that faculty and other students were exposed to a reasonably competent deaf person with interpreters.
* Interpreters do put a wrinkle in deaf-hearing interactions, but I do not think this obstacle is insurmountable. When used skillfully, interpreters can be an incredibly enabling.
Again, it’s really a matter of finding out what makes you most comfortable and effective, and advocating for that. This blog is providing a great service by allowing people to share stories and compare experiences. Good luck!
To clarify, this deaf woman that I was speaking of who works at UVM is a specialist working in the office of ACCESS. There is a group of different specialists working with students of varying abilities. This deaf woman works with deaf students in making sure they get the services they need, whether it be CART, TypeWell, note-taking or if they have issues with their classes, registering and withdrawing from classes, etc. As a deaf faculty member, I don’t work with this deaf specialist but I do work with the interpreter coordinator directly regarding to interpreting services. Since my husband Nick works at ACCESS, if there is a specific technology I need for my class for myself or for a student who needs acommodations, I talk to him directly. As you can see, ACCESS is a very close-knit family! ;)
Thank you for your clarification, Keri.
I am thrilled to see that UVM has in fact taken the very approach that I am advocating for - the recognition that perhaps the qualified person to be working with deaf students is in fact a deaf individual.
This was the point of my comment - that it seems the trend (at least amongst Midwestern campuses) seems to be to hire a hearing interpreter and just dump any and all duties related to deafness on that person - be it meeting with deaf and hard of hearing students, evaluating interpreters, coordinating interpreting services (be they for students, staff, or visitors to the campus), educating the campus about deafness, etc. etc. etc.
It appears that the responsibility of the interpreter coordinator is solely to focus on the interpreting needs of the campus, and to focus on the provision of such needs…while it is the ACCESS Deaf Specialist who focuses on the needs of the students and so forth.
This I think would be an ideal solution for more and more campuses to adopt…but sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case for many of them…even in cities and on campuses where you would think that such separate positions could and should be established.
Heck…I know colleges/universities even in the Washington DC area that don’t even have a Deaf
Specialist - services are set up by a Disability Services Specialist who often knows diddly squat about Deaf Accomodations. You would think in a city like DC with its large Deaf population, this wouldn’t be the case…
At UVM, it just so happened that there are enough deaf and hard-of-hearing students to justify adding a part-time Deaf/HoH Specialist. That role is separate from the Interpreter Coordinator position.
As a Deaf Interpreter, I do not see a conflict in combining the role of an Interpreter Coordinator and an Interpreter. That would be like saying my current job of being the ASL Program Coordinator and an ASL Instructor should be separate. It’s not possible to separate the two positions because there are not enough qualified ASL instructors in the state of Vermont. And the coordinating part is only a few hours a week.
It’s very common for interpreters to take on the role as an Interpreter Coordinator as well as interpret. I’m not saying a deaf person cannot be the interpreter coordinator; instead, one has to really examine the Interpreter Coordinator position and see what the demand and supply is. Suppose the deaf person is the Interpreter Coordinator and there are very few deaf/hoh students at the university. This means that the Interpreter Coordinator position would be part-time as there wouldn’t be enough hours to fill in. After experiencing a national search for another ASL instructor, I know that NO ONE is interested in a part-time job with no benefits. Part of the job recruitment is making the job appealing to applicants.
As for the current UVM Interpreter Coordinator, I am SO thankful that she is also an interpreter because there have been moments where interpreters have called in sick or were not able to come to a job because of weather conditions, etc. Vermont is a rural state and interpreters are scattered all over. We deal with issues differently than metro cities do. That’s why I suggested Boston. Any metro city would be anyone’s best bet, really. I am aware that’s not feasible for everyone.
To summarize, I am saying that of course, deaf people are fully capable of being interpreter coordinators but it all depends on the demand and supply at that particular educational setting.
This is quite an interesting discussion! I’ll just focus on Erin’s question about feeling guilty for the costs we incur…
No, I don’t, because I do not believe WE incur these costs. To see it that way only reinforces the notion that we are disabled. The way I see it, we aren’t disabled; our obstacles are placed there by *society*. Society disables us. And if society disables us, well, they bloody well should accomodate us and shoulder the cost. F’r instance, if they’d just caption everything, dagnabit, that wouldn’t be an access issue, not only for us but for many elderly people and young adults who have destroyed their hearing by repeatedly blasting 120 decibel music into their ears. If people could get past the paradigm that to speak is the only way to communicate, our lives would be a lot easier. I could go on and on and I know there are going to be people who will take umbrage at my perspective. Feel free to comment, but I stand by my take that there is no way in Hades I’m going to feel guilty about asking for access.
Beautifully said, Moi.
When I do presentations on Deaf Culture, I like to say that while my hearing loss might be my “disability,” ***society*** is my handicap. I wholeheartedly agree that the obstacles we face are not caused by our deafness, but by society’s attitudes towards it.
You are absolutely right - if society is going to encumber us with these obstacles, they can bloody well shoulder the expense of removing them!
Thanks…I needed to be reminded that I have no reason to feel guilty!
I quite agree with your perspective. I don’t feel guilty about requesting services. This simply places me at a more level playing field than I otherwise would be as a deaf person.
ditto. it’s exhausting to hear people saying “our budget doesn’t support it” “there’s not enough room in our budget”. it would be nicer to say “you’re expensive”. it’s the society’s way of disabling us.
I don’t feel guilty either. In fact, when I see someone tell another person that it’s too expensive to accommodate them, it pisses me off, especially if a Deaf person said that to a hard-of-hearing person who knew very little sign but wanted to be involved with the Deaf Women United regional conference!!!! While I am aware that it is the responsibility of the deaf/hoh person to request for accommodations, the organizer should have expected that some deaf women would need CART or TypeWell services and had the equipment set up just in case. There are plenty of organizations that would be willing to cover the cost for that. I’m going to make sure there will be a variety of accomodations provided at the New England Deaf Women Conference in Vermont in 2008. =)
You need to email disability person right away — sooner the better JHU is prepared for you or at least as the money ready to support you.
I took grad classes in the mid-1990s in DC. I told the disabiled students services office (DSS as it is often called) which sign language interpreters I wanted. I did not want ASL terps because this was grad schools. The ones I picked also have MA degrees or higher so they knew what I was going through.
many universities have deaf students in grad schools, law schools, medical schools, etc.
many had deaf in undergraduate but often they transferred to Gallaudet or NTID or CSUN later.
CART, captioning etc are all good.
Don’t forgoet the majority of disabled students in higher education are non-deaf.
I understand how you might feel guilty because your accommodations cost a lot of money. Worse, your accommodations are ephemeral. They aren’t available to the next student who comes along unlike a wheelchair ramp or a VRS phone booth. Once your class is over, the interpreter or CART provider leaves and that room is not accessible to the next deaf person who comes along. Universities promote this feeling of guilt by hiring a well-meaning accessibility coordinator with an unreasonably small budget. It makes perfect sense that you might feel bad using up their entire budget on a couple of classes, study groups, a few lectures, and a play. It is convenient that you feel that way because that is how the university wants you to feel. It isn’t right. But they count on you feeling this way. When the well-meaning accessibility coordinator says that she can’t afford to hire interpreters for your study groups she is comparing your request to the wrong budget. She should be comparing your request to the budget of the entire university. Is the two, five or fifteen thousand dollar budget for your semester a reasonable amount for an institution with a budget of $300 or $400 million? That is the right question to ask. Don’t feel guilty. Your request might be too much for a small non-profit but your interpreting or CART request isn’t an unreasonable amount for a major university to spend to ensure something approaching equal access.
Guilty? Maybe you can try to see how colleges and universities are spending on diversity programs (disability is not part of many cmapus’s diversity programs). There are millions doled out for diversity by ethic and minorities groups center, special graudate ceremonies, etc. Nothing for the deaf students.
For most culturally and linguistically Deaf person would benefit from using CART services. When I had both (Interpreter and CART) services available to me which gave me an advantage on learning. Metaphors are used a lot in graduate schools and CART is not clear; however, with an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter makes it so clear. Two tools are really an asset to learning. If one can have both and you will be ahead of the game also do not be afraid to request both. You can say, “I cannot see the lecturer while I am taking notes.” You can compare your notes with CART print-outs (diskette).