My First Class Ever With Interpreters

evil_queen_lisa

evil_queen_lisa

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WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!
I just had my first class EVER with Interpreters.. and BOY did I ever enjoy it. The material itself was kinda boring, but for the first time ever in University I was able to understand the lecture, the student comments/answers, and participate (in the hand raising stuff, i could have answered questions but chose not to).
:mrgreen:
I am one HAPPY camper! I just hope that my other pair of interpreters is as good as these ones and I'm set to go!
FYI my interpreters are doing:
-ASL signs in a slightly more english word order
-mouthing the english word so that I can lipread the signs I don't know
:D:dance2:

Thanks,
*EQL*
 
I remember those feelings of excitement when I finally got ASL interpreters. I couldnt believe how much I had missed out before.

Glad all is going well!
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!
I just had my first class EVER with Interpreters.. and BOY did I ever enjoy it. The material itself was kinda boring, but for the first time ever in University I was able to understand the lecture, the student comments/answers, and participate (in the hand raising stuff, i could have answered questions but chose not to).
:mrgreen:
I am one HAPPY camper! I just hope that my other pair of interpreters is as good as these ones and I'm set to go!
FYI my interpreters are doing:
-ASL signs in a slightly more english word order
-mouthing the english word so that I can lipread the signs I don't know
:D:dance2:

Thanks,
*EQL*
Click to expand...


Thats AWESOME!
 
You mean you didn't have interpreters prior to this? If it's the university named after a general, I can't say I'm surprised. The disability support is awful there.
 
Congrats!!!

Like you, my first time having interpreters FOR ME was in university and it was an AWE-SOME experience!

I was VERY fortunate the DSS program was excellent and they the D/Hoh co-ordinator (who's Deaf herself) made sure that I understood that "as a person with A hearing loss" (regardless of the amount, configuration, type etc) that if I provided a copy of my audiogram (for medical documentation of "a hearing loss") I had access to ANY of the services (individually or combined) I felt would help me including ASL , CART, note-takers, etc. I was unsure of having ASL interpreters since (at that time) it had been a few years since I'd really used ASL (because of a car accident, so I couldn't really sign) ... however I was encouraged to try having the interpreters and explicitly reminded that I was in control - if I wanted the interpreters to voice for me while I signed - fine, if I wanted to voice for myself all the time - fine. I am forever grateful that my DSS co-ordinator pushed me to try ASL interpreters because it made all the difference in the world!!


I requested that my interpreter team sign ASL, but in a more English word order BECAUSE I have enough hearing that I would be also following a bit of what the prof said. I voiced for myself almost all the time.


Because I was taking theology there were a LOT of "technical" words that were very close in meaning but we needed to have specific and distinct signs for - so we sat down with a word list and made a "cheat sheet" for all the terms that would come up regularly. Fortunately, my interpreter team had done some religious signing before, so they knew a lot of the terms (I didn't) and where able to tell me what was standard in my community for certain words and what was typically fingerspelled etc. We also created a lot of "temporary signs" (signs created which follow all the "rules of ASL" but are not "official ASL signs" and used only within that educational environment.



I have to say -
My classmates & Teachers where fantastic even though none of them had worked with an ASL interpreter or Hoh/Deaf signing student before (and each and every one of them came and said thank you at the end of the first year, and each year after - for giving THEM the "opportunity to see what real Hoh/Deaf people are like, what ASL is like and how easy it can be to accommodate someone who is Hoh/Deaf or has a disability".

I was pleased beyond words that they all understood that being Hoh/Deaf is a "language issue", not so much a disability. In fact a number of classmates-turned-friends explictly told me that when we started classes together they thought that being Hoh/Deaf was a "regular disability" (and possibly a mental disability) but by the end of classes together they didn't think that anymore - because I wasn't disabled by my Hoh/Deafness!!! YAAAA - THEY GOT IT!!
 
YAY!!!!

I had my first University class in a while on Monday where I had to lipread/use a notetaker only. There was an interpreter but she was teaming with the note-taker so for about half the lecture I did the note-taker/lip reading thing....It was awful!!!!!
 
JennyB said:
YAY!!!!

I had my first University class in a while on Monday where I had to lipread/use a notetaker only. There was an interpreter but she was teaming with the note-taker so for about half the lecture I did the note-taker/lip reading thing....It was awful!!!!!
Click to expand...
That is awful. Terps aren't supposed to be note takers when they are interpreting.
 
JennyB said:
YAY!!!!

I had my first University class in a while on Monday where I had to lipread/use a notetaker only. There was an interpreter but she was teaming with the note-taker so for about half the lecture I did the note-taker/lip reading thing....It was awful!!!!!
Click to expand...

What? Seriously?

They should be hiring professional notetakers from a professional agency. For instance, Temmers Enterprises.

Notetaking Services | Educational Note Taking | Business Note Taking | Temmer Enterprises
 
Banjo said:
You mean you didn't have interpreters prior to this? If it's the university named after a general, I can't say I'm surprised. The disability support is awful there.
Click to expand...

yes.. i had asked them in MAY for interpreters.. and they 'couldn't find any'. But now i finally have them and I'm really benefiting from it.

*EQL*
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
yes.. i had asked them in MAY for interpreters.. and they 'couldn't find any'. But now i finally have them and I'm really benefiting from it.

*EQL*
Click to expand...

They are full of it, I can guarantee you that. I am very familiar with the history of disability support at this particular university and it's nothing to be proud of. My wife used to go there and it was terrible for her.

They even hired a lipreading interpreter for her on one occasion when she made it clear that she wanted ASL interpreters. Yes, it's that bad.
 
Banjo said:
They are full of it, I can guarantee you that. I am very familiar with the history of disability support at this particular university and it's nothing to be proud of. My wife used to go there and it was terrible for her.

They even hired a lipreading interpreter for her on one occasion when she made it clear that she wanted ASL interpreters. Yes, it's that bad.
Click to expand...
Outrageous!
 
Banjo said:
They are full of it, I can guarantee you that. I am very familiar with the history of disability support at this particular university and it's nothing to be proud of. My wife used to go there and it was terrible for her.

They even hired a lipreading interpreter for her on one occasion when she made it clear that she wanted ASL interpreters. Yes, it's that bad.
Click to expand...

Yes, when i met my interpreters this week, they told me that they had recieved a request to do ORAL interpreting last semester but obviously turned it down. I had written for them EXACTLY what I wanted and was told that it was copied and pasted to all of the interpreters they talked to. Clearly not.

*EQL*
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
Yes, when i met my interpreters this week, they told me that they had recieved a request to do ORAL interpreting last semester but obviously turned it down. I had written for them EXACTLY what I wanted and was told that it was copied and pasted to all of the interpreters they talked to. Clearly not.
Click to expand...

*sigh*

It just never ends at that university. If I were you, I would notify OIS (Ontario Interpreting Services) if there are still problems.

Ontario Interpreting Services - The Canadian Hearing Society
 
That is awesome for you!!

I have seen BSL interpreters before but they not for me, I just happened to be around same place, visiting etc and I watch them before my parents drag me away. My first own BSL interpreter was university too! It was awesome I can understand everything easily and at end of the day I wasn't even tired.

I heard so many university have bad repuation in disabled center but my university was brilliant about it. They arranged meeting in summer before I start to sort out what I need and they made sure people making timetable to give me one early and introduction week timetable, also the interpreter agency boss in education department was at meeting too and gave me mobile and email contact details of her department so I can book interpreter myself for lectures, tutorials and practicals, nice and quick and easy.
 
cool.
Everything seems to be good now. I'm loving it. Realized today just HOW MUCH i was missing out on before. I still need to develop some more self-esteem and confidence about being deaf.. i still feel like people don't want to work with me in groups and stuff, but im sure it will come slowly.
Thanks,
*EQL*
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
cool.
Everything seems to be good now. I'm loving it. Realized today just HOW MUCH i was missing out on before. I still need to develop some more self-esteem and confidence about being deaf.. i still feel like people don't want to work with me in groups and stuff, but im sure it will come slowly.
Thanks,
*EQL*
Click to expand...

Yeah, the best thing is it is only upwards from here. Once you get the self esteem in place, shit will be cool everywhere.
 
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