Hi there,
I'm new here. I'm glad to have this site as a resource and support!
I have been hoh since a child due to nerve damage. I have a hearing loss in both ears but can only hear on the phone in my left ear (mild loss) in my right ear I have a moderate to severe hearing loss. i've been this way so long that I never really realized how dependent i am on reading lips! I can hear sound but not necessarily knowing what exactly i being said. One on one i am fine--I am a salesperson and I do fine with my job because most of it is one on one communication.
In other situations it sometimes it is easier to bluff my way through things if I know the context of the conversation. I'm sure most of you know what I mean I don't have hearing aids and have never worn one--I'm not sure they would help and could make things worse!
My hearing test shows my speech comprehension is about 50%.
Most people who I deal with don't even know i have a problem because I deal with it very well. People who are around me a lot definitely know i have a problem.
Anyway, here is my question:
I recently had to go to court (justice of the peace, small room one man office) Let's just say it was a small claims case. I wrote a response to the court for the judge and in the response I explained that I was severely hard of hearing and require things in writing. He signed this document indicating it was being admitted. I also told the judge that I was hard of hearing, that I lipread and also need things in writing.
Anyway the hearing comes around and there are several people in a small room and lots of construction noise going on in this building. i am trying to keep up with everyone talking. (people are sitting in different parts of the room so my eyes have to go back and forth) I understood that the case was dismissed, but the judge gave me no paperwork. I asked for it and he wouldn't give me anything.
Anyway i got a new notice for a new hearing--different case number and had to go back again. i thought it would be all over since first one was dismissed.
I got there and judge said he was doing something retroactively from the first hearing that was dismissed. I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and told him so. he said I told you in the first hearing. i was extremely upset because this was very important information (life event changling and time sensitive too) and he never gave me anything in writing at all! he said i can do what I want to do and i can do it verbally if I want to. i was so mad and he knew it that he decided to continue it 2 days later.
i went to his office the day before the continuance with a tape recorder and recorded him. Ireminded him that i was hoh and he had never given me anything in writing from the first hearing. (yes it was dismissed but he had verbally made stipulations that i was unware of--i had missed it) i also reminded him that he had signed off on my document that said I was hoh and needed things in writing
He was very nasty and said he could do things verbally if he wanted to and since I didnt wear a hearing aid it didnt matter anyway. I was furious!!!
Hearing came next day and he refused to change anything and I lost because of no knowledge of his stipulations verbally made in first hearing. i made him VERY clear in this hearing that he was violating my ADA rights but he just laughed and said try to do something about it.
NASTY NASTY man. I have tried reporting him but i can't find an ADA coordinator or ombudsman that handles justice of the peace. i have started a complaint with the Department of Justice but is this my only recourse?
This result has a HUGE life impact on my and I will not let him get away with it.
Ironic thing is that i have found some justice of the peace rules that show that their judgements/dismissals all are supposed to be in writing anyway, so i was asking for something that should have been done anyway!
What should I do? I am looking for an ADA attorney but they all seem to be employment related. i think this would be title II section 504? and I don't know how to find this type of attorney. I am in Louisiana.
I'm new here. I'm glad to have this site as a resource and support!
I have been hoh since a child due to nerve damage. I have a hearing loss in both ears but can only hear on the phone in my left ear (mild loss) in my right ear I have a moderate to severe hearing loss. i've been this way so long that I never really realized how dependent i am on reading lips! I can hear sound but not necessarily knowing what exactly i being said. One on one i am fine--I am a salesperson and I do fine with my job because most of it is one on one communication.
In other situations it sometimes it is easier to bluff my way through things if I know the context of the conversation. I'm sure most of you know what I mean I don't have hearing aids and have never worn one--I'm not sure they would help and could make things worse!
My hearing test shows my speech comprehension is about 50%.
Most people who I deal with don't even know i have a problem because I deal with it very well. People who are around me a lot definitely know i have a problem.
Anyway, here is my question:
I recently had to go to court (justice of the peace, small room one man office) Let's just say it was a small claims case. I wrote a response to the court for the judge and in the response I explained that I was severely hard of hearing and require things in writing. He signed this document indicating it was being admitted. I also told the judge that I was hard of hearing, that I lipread and also need things in writing.
Anyway the hearing comes around and there are several people in a small room and lots of construction noise going on in this building. i am trying to keep up with everyone talking. (people are sitting in different parts of the room so my eyes have to go back and forth) I understood that the case was dismissed, but the judge gave me no paperwork. I asked for it and he wouldn't give me anything.
Anyway i got a new notice for a new hearing--different case number and had to go back again. i thought it would be all over since first one was dismissed.
I got there and judge said he was doing something retroactively from the first hearing that was dismissed. I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and told him so. he said I told you in the first hearing. i was extremely upset because this was very important information (life event changling and time sensitive too) and he never gave me anything in writing at all! he said i can do what I want to do and i can do it verbally if I want to. i was so mad and he knew it that he decided to continue it 2 days later.
i went to his office the day before the continuance with a tape recorder and recorded him. Ireminded him that i was hoh and he had never given me anything in writing from the first hearing. (yes it was dismissed but he had verbally made stipulations that i was unware of--i had missed it) i also reminded him that he had signed off on my document that said I was hoh and needed things in writing
He was very nasty and said he could do things verbally if he wanted to and since I didnt wear a hearing aid it didnt matter anyway. I was furious!!!
Hearing came next day and he refused to change anything and I lost because of no knowledge of his stipulations verbally made in first hearing. i made him VERY clear in this hearing that he was violating my ADA rights but he just laughed and said try to do something about it.
NASTY NASTY man. I have tried reporting him but i can't find an ADA coordinator or ombudsman that handles justice of the peace. i have started a complaint with the Department of Justice but is this my only recourse?
This result has a HUGE life impact on my and I will not let him get away with it.
Ironic thing is that i have found some justice of the peace rules that show that their judgements/dismissals all are supposed to be in writing anyway, so i was asking for something that should have been done anyway!
What should I do? I am looking for an ADA attorney but they all seem to be employment related. i think this would be title II section 504? and I don't know how to find this type of attorney. I am in Louisiana.
