Friday, December 2, 2011

Hate having Communication Barriers


I am just sitting  a lone on a couch several  feet a way from  student club meeting in RIT campus center typing this post. I can see people talking and arguing.  My face is turning red like I have a high fever over 100 degrees. But I don’t have high fever, however, I am somehow sick. I am sick with having communication barriers which I can’t blame on anyone. 
Tonight one of the clubs that I am involved in is having a meeting and there is no interpreter. My club requested an interpreter for the meeting yesterday, about 30 hours before the meeting which is the normal time when you have to request interpreter. NTID has access service where deaf students can request interpreter for classes, meeting and other service. As member of E-board of my club, I have responsibilities and I have to attend all the club meeting.

Being deaf with communication barriers and trying to do what you want is something that will always make you feel weak and dependent on others. I don’t mind being deaf and depending on someone to interpreter for me. However, what I am not happy is that I am in deaf college and when I requested interpreter I didn’t get one? I don’t think this is fair. Access service in NTID need to be able to provide communication services  or at least inform deaf if they can’t assign interpreter for them. They have to satisfy deaf student’s communication access. It would have been   nicer if they had informed me that they would not provide interpreter for me before I came to the meeting.


4 comments:

  1. can sympathize and agree with what you say; i am deafened, use real time captioning (CART) and this is also not easy to find in many places (i am not a student)....
    those others - deaf also? or ?
    would everyone having CART for a meeting be a possible solution? (then there is a ready transcript for all also).
    best,
    ls/ccac/www.ccacaptioning.org

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  2. Ccacblog

    I understand about that. I have been using captioning for my classes for two years and I still use real time captioning one of my classes.
    I don't think it is possible to have CART for meeting because you will need to follow what everyone is saying and also you will need to speak yourself. SO interpreter can be voice for you and other people. However, captioning is great for an event where you only need to understand what is going on and you are not fluent in ASL.

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  3. I am curious. How old were you when you became deaf and how old when you got CI? Does it make you hearing or only hard of hearing or not even that?

    My granddaughter has bilateral implants and had the first one at age one and the second at age 5 1/2. She doesn't love the second one like she likes the first.

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  4. sorry for replaying late. Well, I like my CI it helps me voice and I can understand sometimes voice but I still believe being Deaf. I was 16 when I got my CI.

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