Interpreter for SEE

A Deaf friend of my daughter never learned ASL her hearing parents made her learn SEE. Now she is in college and requests a SEE interpreter, but the college was really having trouble finding one. They finally found one but lives almost three hours away and is very expensive. Does the ADA state that the college must provide a SEE interpreter or an ASL interpreter? The college wants to do what is right but the cost of this interpreter is awful. What are some suggestions or should the college just keep paying for this interpreter? I really think the girl should learn ASL because when she gets out in the "real" world she will probably have a lot of problems finding a SEE interpreter.

Technically, it is a SEE transliterator, not interpreter.

Anyway, the college needs to provide the student with whatever works for her.

Would she be able to understand an interpreter who uses a form of PSE/MCE? Has she tried PSE/MCE? It might be easier to find a terp who can use PSE, or some other "happy medium" as long as the student can follow it.

Of course it would be wonderful if the girl eventually learns ASL but we have to deal with the current reality.

Reba said:

Technically, it is a SEE transliterator, not interpreter.

Anyway, the college needs to provide the student with whatever works for her.

Would she be able to understand an interpreter who uses a form of PSE/MCE? Has she tried PSE/MCE? It might be easier to find a terp who can use PSE, or some other "happy medium" as long as the student can follow it.

Of course it would be wonderful if the girl eventually learns ASL but we have to deal with the current reality.

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I agree with you on all counts...however, maybe the college is unable to find a SEE transliterator? Is that the fault of the college? Just curious..

shel90 said:

I agree with you on all counts...however, maybe the college is unable to find a SEE transliterator? Is that the fault of the college? Just curious..

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I wouldn't say "fault." It's the responsibility of the college to make reasonable accommodations. If they've searched diligently in a 100-mile radius and still can't find a SEE transliterator, then the student may have to accept some other accommodation. That could be using a distance transliterating service on-line, CART, PSE terp, FM system, or a combination of those options. The student might have to take some courses on-line rather than on-site, or adjust her schedule to fit the terp's availability.

I don't know enough details about the student, college, or location to give more specific suggestions.

When I said "the college needs to provide the student with whatever works for her" I was thinking more about the question of using an ASL terp. If an ASL terp would not work for the student then that's not a viable option. Even if the cost and availability were "reasonable" to the college, it wouldn't make any sense if the student can't understand the terp.

I have to say this...maybe this is a good time for your daughter's friend to take ASL courses in college. Maybe she could start her college studies by taking up ASL classes first. Once she gets a grasp of ASL and begins to get comfortable with it, then she can start taking her other college courses with an ASL terp.

That way she can be bi-bi on both sign languages and have a more better education when she finishes college.

What does PSE/MCE stands for? Thank you.

webexplorer said:

What does PSE/MCE stands for? Thank you.

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Pidgin Signed English, and Manually Coded English. I should have added CASE (Conceptually Accurate Signed English). None of them are languages in themselves but are used as contact communication modes to bridge English and ASL.

Thanks for everyone's help. I passed this information on.