University accommodations .. don't feel "deaf" enough

[OpheliaSpeaks]

Hey all,

I haven't been around in awhile...been preoccupied with medical issues and relationship drama...you know how it goes!

Anyway, I have a moderate hearing loss and wear 2 digital BTEs. This is all fine and well, except at school. I go to a large university and am expected to keep up in classes. I had been using an FM system, but my hearing has been fluctuating a LOT lately and I am having more trouble keeping up. It's frustrating, and school shouldn't be frustrating like this.

I requested CART (C-print) for my biopsychology class and a PSE terp for my cultural diversity class because the acoustics in the room are terrible and we do a lot of small group work (4 students in a group and about 12 groups working at a time). It isn't conducive to request my group leave the room because the work is broken up throughout the class (10 minute sessions of group work and then lecture and then 10 minutes more in group etc).

The disability office had no problem with my request and found it appropriate. I am feeling like I am not "deaf enough" to use these services though. I know that they will help me and I know that I will benefit from them, but I worry that someone else with a more severe hearing loss will need services and won't be able to get them because I am utilizing them.

Has anyone else felt this way? I suppose I am looking for reassurance that I am doing the right thing by advocating for myself so I can get my degree and get OUT of this university!

Like many hoh individuals with my loss, I do fine in 1-on-1 situations and grew up hearing so I speak fine. I hate the thought of the terp or other students wondering why I am using services when I can interact with the hearing world well - under certain circumstances.

Advice? Comments?

 

[jillio]

Hey all,

I haven't been around in awhile...been preoccupied with medical issues and relationship drama...you know how it goes!

Anyway, I have a moderate hearing loss and wear 2 digital BTEs. This is all fine and well, except at school. I go to a large university and am expected to keep up in classes. I had been using an FM system, but my hearing has been fluctuating a LOT lately and I am having more trouble keeping up. It's frustrating, and school shouldn't be frustrating like this.

I requested CART (C-print) for my biopsychology class and a PSE terp for my cultural diversity class because the acoustics in the room are terrible and we do a lot of small group work (4 students in a group and about 12 groups working at a time). It isn't conducive to request my group leave the room because the work is broken up throughout the class (10 minute sessions of group work and then lecture and then 10 minutes more in group etc).

The disability office had no problem with my request and found it appropriate. I am feeling like I am not "deaf enough" to use these services though. I know that they will help me and I know that I will benefit from them, but I worry that someone else with a more severe hearing loss will need services and won't be able to get them because I am utilizing them.

Has anyone else felt this way? I suppose I am looking for reassurance that I am doing the right thing by advocating for myself so I can get my degree and get OUT of this university!

Like many hoh individuals with my loss, I do fine in 1-on-1 situations and grew up hearing so I speak fine. I hate the thought of the terp or other students wondering why I am using services when I can interact with the hearing world well - under certain circumstances.

Advice? Comments?

If another student needs the same services, they will get them as well. You using the services you need will not prevent someone who needs them as well from getting them. Please don't feel as if you may be depriving anyone. Actually, not taking advantage of the services available to you will end up depriving you of the education you are paying to get. Trust me, if disability services granted you these accommodations, you most certainly are "deaf enough" to qualify for them. Be grateful that they are being offered, and not to worry about it having a negative effect on someone else.

But I do have to say, I admire your attitude of not wanting to put another's education in jeopardy. That is very noble of you.

 

[madison069]

If another student needs the same services, they will get them as well. You using the services you need will not prevent someone who needs them as well from getting them. Please don't feel as if you may be depriving anyone. Actually, not taking advantage of the services available to you will end up depriving you of the education you are paying to get. Trust me, if disability services granted you these accommodations, you most certainly are "deaf enough" to qualify for them. Be grateful that they are being offered, and not to worry about it having a negative effect on someone else.

But I do have to say, I admire your attitude of not wanting to put another's education in jeopardy. That is very noble of you.

Aw, crap... I agree with her..


I am in college too, luckily I am able to get away with no help. But if you need it then don't worry as the university will find more service people for anyone who needs help.

 

[signer16]

I've met a few hoh people like this. They are sweet people who are simply so USED TO coping with less than 100% that they not only have concerns about taking services from more "needy" students but also feel guilty for using the services at all. Dont!
Here's how I see it. As a hearing student I easily have near 100% access to everything spoken by the professor, and close to that in a small group, (even in a noisy classroom). When I can't hear something, especially in small groups, I can ask people to repeat without much fear that they will judge me or that I will be unduly stalling the group.
You, as an hoh student, have to work much harder to get probably even 90% of the information. Especially in small groups, you are concerned about hearing people judging you for not hearing information and asking for it to be repeated-- or not asking, and then you have to worry about making a stupid or off-topic comment later.
When you ask for CART services or an interpreter, you are NOT being treated "speshul" and getting some huge advantage-- you are just getting closer to what they hearing people do (something they often take for granted). You have paid for your education, and you have the right to full ACCESS.
YOU still have to make the effort to do the work, keep up in class, participate in groups, etc.
YOU have the right to full access to all the information to make the best choices for you. There is a quote I just heard "the opposite of oppression is freedom of choice." By getting captionists/terps to make sure you have ACCESS to the information, you stop oppressing yourself and give yourself the full choice to do well in the class or not. You deserve to get your education as much as anyone else does! You paid for it and earned your place in that classroom!

 

[Hear Again]

I agree 100% with everything that has been stated thus far.

If your university didn't think you needed these accommodations, they wouldn't have provided them to you. As a HoH student, you have just as much right to access lecture information as hearing students do. If it makes you feel any better, I know several people with moderate hearing loss who have used terps, so it's not unusual.

I can emphasize with how you feel about thinking you aren't "deaf enough" to need terps or CART. When I started learning tactile sign, I had severe-profound hearing loss and could still use a Comtek FM system. Part of me felt guilty about learning sign (and using a tactile terp at a convention for the deafblind) because I thought sign was only for people who were completely deaf. Both my sign language instructor and the director of the deafblind center where I received my training told me that there was absolutely nothing wrong with using whatever communication methods I could in order to fully understand others. As my sign language instructor put it, "Would you rather understand 50% of what is said with an FM system or 100% with tactile sign? Besides, what happens if your FM system needs repair? Then what?" Ever since then, I never thought twice about using a tactile terp.

The way I see it, one should use all of the communication tools they can to ensure complete access to information and communication.

 

[HOH33stars]

hey there!
i struggle with the exact same thing! in fact, yesterday i said exactly what you did! i use an interpreter for almost all of my classes now...because i found that i'm not getting the information i need to succeed and do well. plus i wasn't able to follow group discussions...understand my art critiques...it was turning into a mess very quickly this semester.
i do feel that i'm not "deaf enough" to need these accomodations...yet in the same hand...i've realized that it's not fair to my teacher to have him reteach me the lectures after class because i didn't understand it...it's not fair to my classmates that i can't understand what is being said and they can't communicate well with me...etc.
do i still struggle with this? yes. especially when other students treat me "weird"...in the end though, i want a good grade. that is what i'm paying to go to college for. i want to learn this information so i can use it in the future...not "BS" my way through college...

 

[OpheliaSpeaks]

Thank you all so very much for your responses. I am feeling a lot better about getting back in the groove this week and fully participating in my classes.

I guess I hadn't considered the fact that I do deserve access by virtue of the fact that I am a student there. I can only take care of myself and advocate for myself, so I should stop worrying about the "other students".

I appreciate everyone's feedback. It has been most helpful in assuaging my insecurities about this situation.