The Role of an Interpreter in a Public School

SJCSue

SJCSue

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I am reading the comments on the Newsday site boards about the banning of a deaf boy's service dog from his high school. Some people say that his interpreter can alert him to dangers. What is the role of an interpreter in a public school?
 
Well, the roles of a terp and a service dog certainly aren't interchangeable!

Aside from that, terps aren't present with each Deaf student every minute of the school day, and they don't ride the bus to and from school with the student (at least not in my state).
 
Reba said:
Well, the roles of a terp and a service dog certainly aren't interchangeable!

Aside from that, terps aren't present with each Deaf student every minute of the school day, and they don't ride the bus to and from school with the student (at least not in my state).
Click to expand...

Can a deaf student be allow BOTH an interpreter and a service dog? Reba, maybe, you should go to Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports and explain to the ignonant hearing people there about the LAW!
 
I wonder if they would try to use these same excuses if the dog was a Seeing Eye dog for a blind kid? Hmmm...?

"... Certain risks are posed by a canine participating daily in the school environment, such as allergy considerations, problems in navigating class and staff flow in the hallways and stairwells, and the significant distraction and substantial disruption to educational operations that the animal's presence poses."

Pretty lame.
 
People probably wouldn't be as likely to use those kinds of excuses when it comes to a guide dog since they *tend* to be more universally accepted (BTW a blind "child" must be at least 16 years of age to receive a guide dog), but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened before. In fact, I know someone who is totally blind and received her first guide dog when she was 17. The principal and staff of her high school used similar excuses (allergies, possible danger to other students -- especially those who are afraid of dogs) to try and ban her dog from campus. She was able to refute all of the school's arguments by citing the ADA and threatening legal action. From that point on, she had no further problems with access.
 
jillio is right. A hearing/service dog aids in alerting a deaf or hard of hearing person to sounds in their environment. It does not take the place of a terp.

Here is more information about the ADA and how it applies to service dogs:

Guide Dogs for the Blind: An Overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act

An Overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act

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Section 36.302(c) of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public accommodations generally to modify policies, practices, and procedures to accommodate the use of service animals in places of public accommodation.

Service animal means any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.

Places of public accommodation mean facilities, operated by a private entity, whose operations affect commerce and fall within at least one of the following categories:

Places of lodging
Establishments serving food or drink
Places of exhibition or entertainment
Places of public gathering
Sales or rental establishments
Service establishments
Stations used for specified public transportation
Places of public display or collection
Places of recreation
Places of education
Social service center establishments
Places of exercise or recreation
For more information, call the ADA Hotline at 800-514-0301.
 
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