'terping for my gf on school trip to the caribbean

[winterterp]

This is a bit frustrating, as the first time I tried to post this, the boards ate it...

Anyway, I realize the situation I describe below is rather unusual, but here it is:

My university offers short, fun interim courses during January, where students can take one class over the course of three weeks. Many of these classes are trips, or have trips associated with them later (over spring break, etc).

My girlfriend is taking a biology course studying the ecology of the tropics. They will meet for two long days of class in January, followed by an 8 day trip to a dutch island in the caribbean.

As you might imagine, it has been rather difficult securing a an interpreter or college student studying interpreting (from a nearby state university) who can leave the country for 8 days. After the university tried all last sring and summer to secure one, the professors have finally turned to me. I am not an interpreter by profession, but have acted as an interpreter for my girlfriend at biology club meetings, evening dormitory meetings, at the movies, etc. My girlfriend says she is fine with me acting as her 'terp on the trip, and is quite excited. The profs also like the idea, since I've taken the class before and know the things they will be doing and learning about, and they know I'll respect their rules and won't abandon my girlfriend to run off to the bars after the official "class time" is over each day.

As I said, I know the situation is rather unorthodox, but all the opinions I've gotten thus far (from her 'terps in our science classes this semester, etc) have been positive. I'm just curious what the 'terps here at alldeaf think.

 

[Reba]

My university offers short, fun interim courses during January, where students can take one class over the course of three weeks. Many of these classes are trips, or have trips associated with them later (over spring break, etc).

As you might imagine, it has been rather difficult securing a an interpreter or college student studying interpreting (from a nearby state university) who can leave the country for 8 days. After the university tried all last sring and summer to secure one, the professors have finally turned to me. I am not an interpreter by profession, but have acted as an interpreter for my girlfriend at biology club meetings, evening dormitory meetings, at the movies, etc. My girlfriend says she is fine with me acting as her 'terp on the trip, and is quite excited. The profs also like the idea, since I've taken the class before and know the things they will be doing and learning about, and they know I'll respect their rules and won't abandon my girlfriend to run off to the bars after the official "class time" is over each day.

As I said, I know the situation is rather unorthodox, but all the opinions I've gotten thus far (from her 'terps in our science classes this semester, etc) have been positive. I'm just curious what the 'terps here at alldeaf think.

Does your girlfriend usually have terps for her other college classes? Is she taking this course for credit, or is it a continuing ed course? Will the college pay you for interpreting?

 

[winterterp]

Does your girlfriend usually have terps for her other college classes? Is she taking this course for credit, or is it a continuing ed course? Will the college pay you for interpreting?

Yes, she has 'terps for all her classes (she's profoundly deaf - to quote her, "even for a deaf person, I'm really deaf"), and yes, the course is for credit. Aside from the subject matter, and the somewhat unique way it is taught, this is just like any other class (though admittedly, the hardest parts of the interpreting for the class will be during those two days before the trip, when she'll have a regular interpreter - the learning on the trip is mostly through the experiences). The college is "paying" me for interpreting by funding everything required for me to go on the trip (airfare, restort stay, activity fees, etc), which is perfectly fine with me. I'll be working for about three hours of class each day (but during which time actual instruction from the teachers is sporadic), and the rest of the time I won't be "on the clock," but I'll be with her pretty much all the time except when we're sleeping, helping her get the full experience of the trip.

 

[Tousi]

I thought I heard somewhere that the ADA, rules, etc, etc for a situation like this does not apply/is not enforceable because the activity is off-shore.....

 

[winterterp]

I thought I heard somewhere that the ADA, rules, etc, etc for a situation like this does not apply/is not enforceable because the activity is off-shore.....

Well, we won't tell the school that if you don't...

But anyway, it's not a matter of ADA why they can't get a 'terp; it's merely a matter of feasability. Most 'terps are busy with family and thier own lives when not on a job - leaving all that for 8 days to go do a job is .... a little more involved. And all the students studying interpreting at other schools will have started second semester by then.... hard to get them to skip class. We've just done the best we can with what's available, I suppose. Which is a good thing.

 

[Reba]

I thought I heard somewhere that the ADA, rules, etc, etc for a situation like this does not apply/is not enforceable because the activity is off-shore.....

Not sure. The school sponsoring the trip is American, so it still might be covered. I know that Deaf government employees are sometimes covered overseas when it is Federal government work-related travel. Also, sometimes covered by cruise ships that are U.S. flag, even in international waters.

 

[Reba]

...But anyway, it's not a matter of ADA why they can't get a 'terp; it's merely a matter of feasability. Most 'terps are busy with family and thier own lives when not on a job - leaving all that for 8 days to go do a job is .... a little more involved.

Interesting. Our terps have a contract with the college. If a college needs terps for weird hours or places, we have to cover it. That includes Saturday classes, traveling out of town, whatever. Our terps do a lot of "jet-setting" and overnight travel. Our personal lives sometimes get put on hold. That's just the nature of the job.

... We've just done the best we can with what's available, I suppose. Which is a good thing.

It should be fun for you!

 

[winterterp]

Interesting. Our terps have a contract with the college. If a college needs terps for weird hours or places, we have to cover it. That includes Saturday classes, traveling out of town, whatever. Our terps do a lot of "jet-setting" and overnight travel. Our personal lives sometimes get put on hold. That's just the nature of the job.

Well, the above was my understanding of the matter, it's possible there could be something else going on; but since my gf is the only deaf student on campus (small private school), I doubt the school has a huge and wide-ranging contract for 'terps.

It should be fun for you!

Indeed, both she and I are looking forward to it; I had a great time on the trip last year, and I'm glad I'll get to share the experience with her.

 

[rjr2006]

Well, the above was my understanding of the matter, it's possible there could be something else going on; but since my gf is the only deaf student on campus (small private school), I doubt the school has a huge and wide-ranging contract for 'terps.Indeed, both she and I are looking forward to it; I had a great time on the trip last year, and I'm glad I'll get to share the experience with her.

WOW! I am the only deaf student in my high school and I can understand why it is difficult for your girlfriend and that I feel very frustrated because TVs are inaccessible, and I get really pissed off when closed captions get messy in school's tvs.

 

[DeafBiker4JC]

Well, the above was my understanding of the matter, it's possible there could be something else going on; but since my gf is the only deaf student on campus (small private school), I doubt the school has a huge and wide-ranging contract for 'terps.Indeed, both she and I are looking forward to it; I had a great time on the trip last year, and I'm glad I'll get to share the experience with her.

From my understanding, private schools are not covered under ADA?

 

[Tousi]

Yeah, Deafbiker4JC but that is a moot point now as I realized from posts subsequent to mine. Winterterp's goonna be doing this for his gf so that's cool and if their school helps him with some of his expenses, why, by golly, that's just grand, too. At any rate, theyr'e gonna have fun, too.

 

[winterterp]

From my understanding, private schools are not covered under ADA?

That's true of K-12 private schools, but as my gal has explained it to me, all colleges, no matter if they are private or not, must accept and accomodate deaf students, and are subject to ADA. She even knows a guy who sued another small private college near us (and won) for rejecting him merely because he was deaf.