Perspectives...for hard-of-hearing students
Unreasonable...but not unusual

A hard-of-hearing student, Anne, transferred from Gallaudet University to a mainstream university in order to, in her own words, "be schooled in my native language, English, the same language I've been schooled in all my life."

Upon arrival at the new university, she requested Computer-Aided Real-Time Transcription services (CART) for her Ph.D. classes. Her request was denied because she knew some sign language and therefore the disability services office staff said they would provide a sign language interpreter. Anne cited Title II of the Americans with Disabili- ties Act that states that the public school system is obliged to provide the accommodation the individual requests, but the school said they had the choice as to which accommodations they would provide.

Anne had been mainstreamed all through school, was brought up oral by a mother who was a speech therapist, and had learned some sign language. But like most hard-of-hearing students, Anne's first language was English. Though she could use some sign language for socializing among her friends, she was not comfortable signing, and her mastery of sign language certainly was not adequate for comprehension in doctoral level classes. She had the equivalent of intermediate level skills, but that did not indicate, by any means, that she was fluent.

Anne struggled for a semester with a sign language interpreter. She passed all her classes but at a very high price, working twice as hard as everyone else, feeling stressed and ready to drop out.

She decided she could not go another semester without the appropriate accommodations, but she had considerable trouble convincing the disability services staff that what she really needed was CART or C-Print services in order to perform to her potential. It took some strong self-advocacy on her part, coupled with letters of support from organizations who represent hard-of-hearing and oral deaf people, to persuade the office of disability services to consider her case. The disability services staff asked for evidence of Anne's sign language skills from a sign language interpreter who confirmed that she was far from fluent.

All this effort took considerable time away from Anne's studies and contributed to feelings of self-doubt. Finally the situation was resolved positively, and she was informed that starting in the fall she would be provided with CART services. She was relieved and delighted, even more so because the decision came on her birthday. Although the good news was a great birthday present, no student should have to go through that kind of experience to get the accommodations she has a right to by law.