More intepreters and notetaker situation

coolgirlspyer90

coolgirlspyer90

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Hi all,

I know it's been awhile for me to post on AD, i've been overwhelmed with a ton of homework, design projects, etc. But This fall semester I've been having problems at school. Let me explain why.

I started my second year at Sinclair Community College (resides in Dayton,OH) as a visual communication student on August 20th. for the first 2 weeks or so things were going okay. I had accommodations to have an interpreter, and a notetaker to help me out during class.

My interpreters have been showing up late to class everyday, about 15-20 minutes late to class, and my notetakers have either not shown up at any of my classes at all, or show up late. My notetakers have also not given me any good notes at all, they would give me a half a page of notes to one page of notes for just an 1 hour and 15 minutes lecure to an 3 hour lecture in a few of my classes. This has been going on for a year.

I have been emailing the disability office basically yelling at them in a polictical manner, telling them what is going on and they never did a thing to help me out last year or at the beginning of the fall semester. They finally decided that they want to help me about a week ago. Which I can say is stupid because they should have been helping me with this problem right at the start of my college career. So then last thursday, my notetaker did not show up for any of my classes at all, I had no notes at all last thursday, I asked for notes from my classmates, and I asked questions in class, and tried my best to get by in class. My classmates and teacher was more than nice to give me a copy of their notes. Interpreters from last thursday and tuesday were late, I had no notetaker for half the day on tuesday last week and this week.

So then this tuesday My notetaker for my 2nd class decided to show up 10 minutes late, and decided to take a nap in class. She fell asleep for about 5-10 minutes until some kid bumped into her. I was irritated, annoyed, angry, fustrated, and extremely stressed out. I do not deserve this. I have been telling my parents my fustration with my paid support from the beginning of the semester to now, and when i told them about my notetaker falling asleep in class, that was the last straw. I got home tuesday evening, i sat down with my parents and we decided to send them an strong worded email. And they did not respond back to me until wednesday late evening about an alternative to have a c-print. I don't have school on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays including weekends.

So i said "okay, I'll try C-Print WITH the aide of an interpreter as well" so then Today at school I had interpreter, she was on time for all of my classes, but I had no c-print all day. I complained to the office and they said the placed the order for a c-print yesterday, But they had all day to find somebody, they should have given me a notetaker if they knew i wouldn't have c-print to help me out in class. So then I emailed back saying that I am getting fustrated, this is very exhausting for me to deal with this everyday and that my grades are starting to suffer with the lack of my paid support. And then they decide to blame me for the low grade. I am just very very very fustrated and beyond stressed out. I want to transfer to Gallaudet but my parents would not let me at all and I would probably have to start over again at gallaudet and wasting more money. I honestly don't know what else to do other than get advice from you guys. I seriously need help here, I cried way too many times at nights when i get home from school because of the disability office being so stubborn with me and not believing that they are wrong and i'm right. There are many times i have had sleepless nights wondering if I will be able to get by in class or be able to pass the class. I'm trying my very best to keep up with classes by asking questions, getting help, and getting notes from my classmates. I explained my teachers about the situation and they were more than happy to help me out. But the disability office does not even care.

I honestly don't know what else to do other than fight, but my parents don't want to do that unless we have to. What do you guys think?
 
Maybe you can find a way to get financing for Gallaudet or NTID and not have to get any debt.

Look for grants and scholarships.
 
Bottesini said:
Maybe you can find a way to get financing for Gallaudet or NTID and not have to get any debt.

Look for grants and scholarships.
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But i'm not sure what kind of financing. I know there are student loans and FASFA but I'm sure that I will have to pay them back, and my parents wants to avoide me being in debt for school, that is mainly why i am going to a community college, because it is cheaper that way (we pay 1,300 something per semester)
 
That is the worst example of college services I've heard. The behavior of your interpreters is inexcusable--outrageous! It makes me angry. :mad: They wouldn't last a semester at my college or the previous agency when I was working.

You have to make a formal complaint, in writing (not email) to the disabilities office. If that is not satisfactory, send one to the president of the college.
 
That sounds horrible. Definitely complain not only to the resource center but also up the chain to the interpreters office. The school will outsource for terps... That office should know the problem with your terp. When I was in college they would ask me personally my preference for which terp if possible or at least ask me my experience and check in. Certain terps got reported to the office for chatting and the teachers at college requested a different one for one class. Go up the chain for the late interpreter.

As for your note taker - can you type without looking at your keyboard to watch your terp and supplement your bad notes with your own thoughts? What I did for my classes was a combination of this (my notes would be very vague but it worked next to note system which I didn't really get) as well as bringing carbon copy paper to class... I gave it to the note taker for their notes each class and if they were sick I could give it to a kind volunteer or friend to make up for no notes. You can find it at local office max or staples.
 
At the colleges here, interpreters are hired thru statewide competitive bidding process (it's a paperwork nightmare). They are given 5-year contracts. If they don't fulfill the requirements of the contract (which does include a very detailed list) they can be fired, and can be sued for breach of contract. Occasionally, the college can hire additional temporary interpreters without a contract but they really try to avoid that.
 
Does Ohio have Vocational Rehabilitation services that would pay for your college? That's how a majority of people at Gallaudet pay for college, including myself.
 
SophiaG said:
Does Ohio have Vocational Rehabilitation services that would pay for your college? That's how a majority of people at Gallaudet pay for college, including myself.
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Most of the deaf students in my area have their college paid for by VR also. They also get Pell Grant and other funding.
 
SophiaG said:
Does Ohio have Vocational Rehabilitation services that would pay for your college? That's how a majority of people at Gallaudet pay for college, including myself.
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Yes ohio has VR. I am in the process of getting VR, I also have SSI, but SSI has been messing with me recently. Last year around october I got ssi, and had it up until February of this year because they believed that I wasn't 'Deaf' enough due to having CI's... and my parents thought that was wrong, and we fought against them for a couple months and we won, so I did not get my SSI back until this past July i believe. Since I lost my ssi, I had to wait more longer to get VR. because if i do have SSI, I am qualified to get VR. So i honestly don't know whats going on. VR wants me to apply for FASFA to see what my parent's income is and see how much I am allowed to get i guess.

I'm just afraid that If i do transfer to gallaudet now instead of graduating with an associate's degree, i will lose all of my credits because the semesters changed here. I honestly don't really like the semester changing because it kind of screwed everything up here in ohio.

Sorry if i'm off topic, just trying to explain things.
 
Update for thursday's school day

So i'm going to be giving an update with what happened on thursday this week at school..

I arrive to school for my first class of the day, which is 9:30 in the morning. I thought I would expect C-Print to come and interpreter as well. My interpreter showed up on time, however, I did not have C-Print available.

I was angry. The office emailed me wednesday afternoon saying that they called CSD (community resource for the deaf, located in Dayton OH) and will provide C-print. They literally had all day to find a person to do C-print for me since I do not have school on MWF. So I emailed them while i was at school (during my lunch break) telling them that i had no C-print. And they replied back to me saying that they placed the order for C-Print yesterday and will not have it until next tuesday. And I'm thinking to myself, if they knew that I wouldn't have somebody there to do C-Print, they should have sent me a notetaker instead. I was miserable, I broke down and I cried in front of public, which was embarressing. I was fustrated and stressed out and I didn't need this. I felt like I was reliving my high school problems all over again with the situation I had with my interpreter in high school. It just felt like a never ending nightmare.

So finally I emailed back saying this is getting very tiring and exhausting and not really helping me out. My disability counselor emails back telling me to come into her office, which i had no time beacuse I only had an hour break until my next class. So I responded back saying that I couldn't come in but friday (today) would be the best time for me to come in and what time would be good for her. I didn't tell her that my parents would be coming in the office with me. Because I didn't feel comfortable going in her office by myself with all the drama that has been happening and she does get a little mean sometimes. So after I sent her that email, she never responded back to me.

So then I get to my last class of the day, starts at 5:30PM. I had C-Print shown up. And I was confused because They told me that I wouldn't have C-Print until next tuesday. And I did not have any notetakers or C-Print all day until my last class. So then Class started, then someone came in my class, and my notetaker showed up, And i'm thinking to myself.. :wtf: is going on??? Why is both notetaker and C-Print here? My notetaker ends up telling me that their supervisor wanted C-Print to leave my class. And the notetaker and C-print was discussing about what to do, trying to figure out who is suppose to be here DURING MY CLASS LECTURE.. and I'm thinking "Oh my god just give me either a notetaker or C-Print. This is ridiculous." So finally they both decided they both will stay. They were making distractions and a lot of noises and I wish they both took it out in the hallway and figure it out themselves

I wanted to go home badly, I was sick of the drama, I did not want any part of this anymore, I'm tired of yelling to the disabliity office, complaining to them, and trying to keep up with school at the same time. It gets very tiring and I was mentally and emotionally exhuasted with dealing with this. I'm glad that I don't have a ton of homework right now, because I do deserve this short break after a bad week. This situation has gone on for 2 months nonstop since i started my second year in college. Everyday my parents keeps tellin me that it will get better, but the more this keeps happening, the more doubts I have, and less hope I have. It actually made me depressed for awhile because I do want to do good in school. I have a lot going on in my plate. My boyfriend is away at Gallaudet, I'm stuck here in ohio with a ton of drama and stupid nonsense while going to school and I always try to keep a smile on my face and always try to be strong. I have no idea what else to do.
 
coolgirlspyer90 said:
Yes ohio has VR. I am in the process of getting VR, I also have SSI, but SSI has been messing with me recently. Last year around october I got ssi, and had it up until February of this year because they believed that I wasn't 'Deaf' enough due to having CI's... and my parents thought that was wrong, and we fought against them for a couple months and we won, so I did not get my SSI back until this past July i believe. Since I lost my ssi, I had to wait more longer to get VR. because if i do have SSI, I am qualified to get VR. So i honestly don't know whats going on. VR wants me to apply for FASFA to see what my parent's income is and see how much I am allowed to get i guess.

I'm just afraid that If i do transfer to gallaudet now instead of graduating with an associate's degree, i will lose all of my credits because the semesters changed here. I honestly don't really like the semester changing because it kind of screwed everything up here in ohio.

Sorry if i'm off topic, just trying to explain things.
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Okay well fill out the forms for FAFSA and also for aid from the state of Ohio. There are two forms to fill out. I know Pennsylvania also offers a grant for Deaf/HoH so you need to see if your state offers similar or what.

You need to pay the disability counselor a visit in person to set up an appointment.
 
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