Australia's First Discrimination Case against a deaf boy

[JClarke]

Thought I'd reveal some interesting sources here.

Back in 1999 - When I was 12 years old, and my parents was willing to enrol me to a catholic mainstream high school which is McKilliop Catholic College - but lately in 2000, they refused to provide me an interpreter and my father decided and took McKilliop and CEO to court and fought for 6 years - for the discrimination against a deaf boy which is myself, Jacob Clarke, we have been fighting against the two teams which they couldn't provide me an interpreter they only can provide me an notetaker... and after 4 years, in 2003 the original court case was brought to justice, and I won the court case and the other team was ordered to pay the damages, but they appealed and we fought for another year, finally in 2004 - the judge had enough of the other team's rubbish talking and we won the appeal case... and ordered them to pay the damages......Justice has been done.

But it was too late to change things for myself, becuase now I am 20 years old and I have graduated from the public college in 2005.

 

[jillio]

Thought I'd reveal some interesting sources here.

Back in 1999 - When I was 12 years old, and my parents was willing to enrol me to a catholic mainstream high school which is McKilliop Catholic College - but lately in 2000, they refused to provide me an interpreter and my father decided and took McKilliop and CEO to court and fought for 6 years - for the discrimination against a deaf boy which is myself, Jacob Clarke, we have been fighting against the two teams which they couldn't provide me an interpreter they only can provide me an notetaker... and after 4 years, in 2003 the original court case was brought to justice, and I won the court case and the other team was ordered to pay the damages, but they appealed and we fought for another year, finally in 2004 - the judge had enough of the other team's rubbish talking and we won the appeal case... and ordered them to pay the damages......Justice has been done.

But it was too late to change things for myself, becuase now I am 20 years old and I have graduated from the public college in 2005.

But you seem to be very well educated in spite of the hardships they created for you. I congratulate you on all your hard work. And perhaps your willingness to fight will make it better for the deaf students who follow you.

 

[JClarke]

But you seem to be very well educated in spite of the hardships they created for you. I congratulate you on all your hard work. And perhaps your willingness to fight will make it better for the deaf students who follow you.

Thanks Jillio - Yeah I find myself to be smart while the court was contining I went to public high school and college but I managed to go trhough with the hardships and the other people who supported me etc etc

 

[jillio]

Thanks Jillio - Yeah I find myself to be smart while the court was contining I went to public high school and college but I managed to go trhough with the hardships and the other people who supported me etc etc

You can do as shel has done. She has used her unpleasant experience in the schools to try to make it better for other deaf children so they don't have to suffer through some of the injustices that she has suffered. It takes a truly strong and forgiving person to do that.

 

[pek1]

You can do as shel has done. She has used her unpleasant experience in the schools to try to make it better for other deaf children so they don't have to suffer through some of the injustices that she has suffered. It takes a truly strong and forgiving person to do that.

And I am going to be doing it in a few short years when the initials, J.D. are added behind my name. They stand for Juris Doctor. Try to discriminate now, call me and we'll automatically sue the bums.

 

[shel90]

Wow! U deserve a pat on your back for overcoming your hardships.

It takes that long to win the fight? That's why it takes some special and strong people to really keep on fighting for years and years and your parents deserve applause for standing up for their beliefs and your rights. Too bad it just took so long but at least justice prevailed!

 

[shel90]

You can do as shel has done. She has used her unpleasant experience in the schools to try to make it better for other deaf children so they don't have to suffer through some of the injustices that she has suffered. It takes a truly strong and forgiving person to do that.

Aww thanks. Honestly, it is starting to get tiresome to keep fighting especially now I have a family with young children. I feel like there is something more I can do but what?

 

[jillio]

And I am going to be doing it in a few short years when the initials, J.D. are added behind my name. They stand for Juris Doctor. Try to discriminate now, call me and we'll automatically sue the bums.

Good for you, pek! And I spend my time advocating because of what I saw with so many other students when my son was growing up. So many kids had no one to speak up for them.

 

[JClarke]

Wow! U deserve a pat on your back for overcoming your hardships.

It takes that long to win the fight? That's why it takes some special and strong people to really keep on fighting for years and years and your parents deserve applause for standing up for their beliefs and your rights. Too bad it just took so long but at least justice prevailed!

Yeah took us around 6 years to fight until we won the original case and the appeal case.

 

[R2D2]

Yeah took us around 6 years to fight until we won the original case and the appeal case.

Wow, good for you! Fancy only wanting to give you a notetaker! Did it make it to the media at all? Your story sounds vaguely familiar and I'm wondering if maybe I read about it somewhere?

 

[JClarke]

Wow, good for you! Fancy only wanting to give you a notetaker! Did it make it to the media at all? Your story sounds vaguely familiar and I'm wondering if maybe I read about it somewhere?

Yes, it has been in the media for while, it was during 2003 and 2004 was in the newspapers, TV news, and words spread in the australian deaf community and if you went to the AAD conference in adeliade last year they eventually mentioned it too.. I was there.

 

[jillio]

Aww thanks. Honestly, it is starting to get tiresome to keep fighting especially now I have a family with young children. I feel like there is something more I can do but what?

I guess all we can do is not give upthe fight, shel. I know it gets tiresome, but it is a worthwhile cause.

 

[pek1]

Good for you, pek! And I spend my time advocating because of what I saw with so many other students when my son was growing up. So many kids had no one to speak up for them.

On another thread I was on today (actually Wednesday), I had to get off because I was very upset with how deaf/hoh kids are still going through the same crap I did at their age. I think maybe Jackie's heart is in the right spot, but there are still so many things that I still question about her method (s) that have NOT been proven and hearie educators don't want to listen to deaf folks that have the experience to know precisely what these kids need. They wouldn't listen to me, either. Having deaf young people committing suicide because they can't get help or advocacy because they see their own dreams fly out the window because of hearie educators who think they know better will not fly with me when I'm an attorney. I will gladly take deaf/hoh kids cases pro bono, but in return, I am charging their school districts at least $1,500 an hour to get these kids the help they need and deserve in litigation. The way I see it, school districts will be begging me and other attorneys like me at that time for an out of court settlement, but by then, they will be begging their states to send in money because of their behavior towards these kids have just bankrupted them and they have no choice but to provide 100 percent services to deaf/hoh kids. No Child Left Behind . . . that's right, especially deaf/hoh ones, not just hearies.

 

[Jiro]

While you didn't get the benefit you needed, at least you set the path for others.

 

[JClarke]

While you didn't get the benefit you needed, at least you set the path for others.

Yup, it sure did - they finally woke up however the catholic schools are still bit sweamish with interpreters and teachers of the deaf. Once my case was won - they realized that they had to hire someone, and they did, it was a friend of mine, who worked for a catholic school for the deaf students, she is no longer working there now, she now has been relocated to Sydney recently.

 

[deafdyke]

Fancy only wanting to give you a notetaker!

I know this is Austrailia, but trust me. Schools will kick and SCREAM about giving disabled kids more then minimal accomondations. They have the attitude " Oh that kid who graduated a few years ago did JUST FINE with minimal accomondations. Every Dhh kid should be able to do fine with minimal accomodnations!"
JClarke that is amazing....and you know stories like yours are 100% why I am a educational rights advocate.

 

[deafaussie]

26,000 dollars is just a drop into ocean. Bigger payout would have been hurtful for Catholic Education Office and brings a lot of attention to others.

 

[JClarke]

26,000 dollars is just a drop into ocean. Bigger payout would have been hurtful for Catholic Education Office and brings a lot of attention to others.

Actually it was more than $26,000 after the appeal was lost the amount can not be disclosed.

 

[arafangion]

Sad to say this is just the tip of the iceberg...

My school was amazing, but the NSW education system on the other hand... At once point, when trying to get films captioned for my english classes, my school was told point blank that "You will not have a deaf child doing advanced english". Despite having a deaf child doing advanced english! (Me!).

It's a huge battle to get anything, it's crazy.