School threatening to take my interpreters away

Vanessa Escalante

Vanessa Escalante

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Okay so my school is apparently investigating me or something because they think I’m not “deaf enough” for my interpreters. The reason they think that is because the speech therapist, who started this btw, was talking to me in a confidential support group kicked my interpreter out because she wanted this to be super confidential (my interpreter can’t say anything btw by law. Everything is confidential) and I was unsure at first but I understood. So I was in a small group, in a small room with no background noise, so perfect situation for a hard of hearing gal like myself. And I actually did surprisingly well without the interpreter because it was the perfect situation.
SOOO because a school official witnessed me in a perfect situation and forced my interpreter out, I am now being questioned about my deafness.

Oh and the fucked up thing about this is that the speech therapist has deaf parents and a deaf sister and helped me fight to get my interpreters. SOOOOOO YA KNOW. THATS COOL.
 
Always maddening that they assess you in a situation that's nothing like the situation they want you to operate in. They never understand the differences between understanding someone close by in a good room, who is talking directly and only to you and who will repeat things you don't hear. Yeah, that's the same as following a lecture given by someone who is moving around and addressing 150 people in a large room. :mad2::mad2: It's like those states that test your driving in a compound with no other cars. Is there some kind of external appeal process you can use? When you seem to do too well, people think it means you aren't deaf, then they start shouting at the back of your head again. :dunno2:
 
Typical! That's how school officials in San Diego do this. They're a major pain in the butt. You see why my mother had to confront them all the time. You and your father tell school official why you need interpreter. I spent one year at a public high school. I was told I didn't need interpreter for my PE class. I was like, "How come?" They said that all you need to do is play if you are familiar with sport rules like football and soccer. Ha!
 
That's extremely unfortunate. I never had a problem when my speech therapist helped me find a real time Captionist when I was in middle/high school in San Diego. If I had to make a half-assed assumption, I think most public schools want to avoid paying a penny for any special services for students with disability.
 
You should ask the 'school official' if they're able to hear OK in a large room that has a lot of background noises . I have gone to town meetings and even when a person that was speaking used a microphone people that had good hearing were complaining they couldn't hear. Hearing people are clueless about some hoh people being able to hear but not always able to understand what being said.
 
You can't really compare the two- hearing people can't usually hear because of VOLUME/loudness and distance. Deaf/HOH can't hear mostly because of clarity/understanding the speech sounds
 
Just explain to them that keeping up with one person is one thing, but it must be much harder to keep up when a whole room of people are talking. Good luck. :)
 
Vanessa,
I am hearing, and currently learning ASL
I work for an interpreting company in Hawaii
I am saddened and appalled to know what is happening to you. When they go low,you go high as we were advised by a very wise woman,lol. You must take into consideration that the hearing community are basically ignorant and void of of Deaf community wants,needs,or skills. I hope your less than fortunate experience can be used to further your education,and quality of life for both the Deaf and hearing community. Don't give up the good fight ,stand ur ground
Melanie
 
Vanessa, first off, I wanted to say I am sorry to hear that school district are doing this to you. And that was wrong of them to exclude your interpreter in private meeting. Did you talk with your parents about this? AND have you spoken to a lawyer? Ask for legal advise. Also you should have a press conference to embarrass the school district. The media loves this and can embarrass the district and they will retract and allow you to have an interpreter. Try those. It will work.

I pray all the success you will endure during school and college and employment ahead of you.
 
Vanessa Escalante said:
Okay so my school is apparently investigating me or something because they think I’m not “deaf enough” for my interpreters. The reason they think that is because the speech therapist, who started this btw, was talking to me in a confidential support group kicked my interpreter out because she wanted this to be super confidential (my interpreter can’t say anything btw by law. Everything is confidential) and I was unsure at first but I understood. So I was in a small group, in a small room with no background noise, so perfect situation for a hard of hearing gal like myself. And I actually did surprisingly well without the interpreter because it was the perfect situation.
SOOO because a school official witnessed me in a perfect situation and forced my interpreter out, I am now being questioned about my deafness.

Oh and the fucked up thing about this is that the speech therapist has deaf parents and a deaf sister and helped me fight to get my interpreters. SOOOOOO YA KNOW. THATS COOL.
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Are you in the United States? If you are, what they did to you is against the law.

Cite the American Disability Act and insist they stop... or Else. If they fail to stop, follow up with a lawsuit. Speak to a lawyer!

The fact that you did well without the interpreter in the meeting does not matter. You need an interpreter, END OF STORY.
 
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