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Deafcollegegal

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Hello, Friends

I just wanted to get something disturbing off of my chest today!!!!

1st of all , I am in college but spend my time mentoring young deafies about everything including life after high school, college, umm anything that they want to talk about. However maybe about 20 of them told me that they will be turning down college offers because their intrepreters that intrepret them in their classes said that it isnt right for them to go to college and that they must become JW ( Jehovah Witnesses). I was shocked and confused because I am an Strong Christian and didnt argee with this statment. 1st of all these intrepreters had no RIGHT to be discussing religion with these students while they should be doing their job!!! It is against the law where I live for teachers or anyone who work for the school to discuss this hot topic. .. Couple of these students came to me and said that they were going to an (Church ) on Sunday with their intrepreter!! They thought it was an NORMAL Church but it wasnt. They had no right to do this and this simply makes my stomach turn. I am not against any religion but what I am against is them not doing their job. Also I found out that on the weekend these intrepreters would show up at their house and stuff, one of my students said that he didnt understand how she got his address then more than 5 student mention the same thing. I heard there is an secret list of all the deaf student's address and such. THIS IS WRONG!! We are human being and if we want Christ in our life it will happen but being force and lied to is not how it should be done. The bottom line is during school this shouldnt be happening. I love my deaf students because they are the next generation but WHat should I do??? Some of them have already turned down full scholarships to college!!! WTFreak!!!! :mad:.................. I looked up Rid Code of Ethics for Intrepreters and this is what i found..
Illustrative Behavior - Interpreters:
2.1 Provide service delivery regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability,
sexual orientation, or any other factor.
2.2 Assess consumer needs and the interpreting situation before and during the assignment and
make adjustments as needed.
2.3 Render the message faithfully by conveying the content and spirit of what is being communicated,
using language most readily understood by consumers, and correcting errors discreetly
and expeditiously.
2.4 Request support (e.g., certified deaf interpreters, team members, language facilitators) when
needed to fully convey the message or to address exceptional communication challenges (e.g.
cognitive disabilities, foreign sign language, emerging language ability, or lack of formal
instruction or language).
2.5 Refrain from providing counsel, advice, or personal opinions.
2.6 Judiciously provide information or referral regarding available interpreting or community
resources without infringing upon consumers’ rights.

Please give me some advice!! also Excuse my spelling and grammar errors due to me being upset my mind is just not cooperating !!!:shock:
 
They violated the code of ethics alright. My favourite interpreter is a Jenovah's Witness (wish I kept her e-mail address), and she never pressured me into anything.

Have you brought this up with the school board or whoever hired the interpreters?
 
souggy said:
They violated the code of ethics alright. My favourite interpreter is a Jenovah's Witness (wish I kept her e-mail address), and she never pressured me into anything.

Have you brought this up with the school board or whoever hired the interpreters?
Click to expand...

That is my next step!!! I mean this is just wrong and alof of these kids parents dont care where they go or what they do but I CARE (Maybe I CARE TOO MUCH) but mark my word, I will take this to Congress if I have to!!!!
 
This is a sticky situation, and I don't envy you in trying to solve it.

If the interpreters are employees of the public high school, then you can go to their superiors with your complaint. However, if you do that you risk alienating the young students whom you have been mentoring. They told you about this situation in confidence. How would they feel if you use that private information against interpreters whom they seem to trust and look up to?

Have the students discussed this change of life plans with their parents? Maybe they should be taking a more active role in this situation. I don't recommend you rat out the terps to the parents but encourage the students to talk to their parents about what's happening.

The interpreters really should be reported but if you do it you risk breaking the relationship you have with the students. That's something you will have to weigh carefully.

That's rather odd that the JW terps told the students that they shouldn't go to college. Do the terps in the high school not have college degrees themselves? :hmm:

To be completely honest with you, I have from personal experience knowledge that JW interpreters and signers do use unethical, if not illegal, ways to contact people in the Deaf community. I've caught them in lies, and in breach of hospital privacy laws. They've also used "stalking" and intimidation against some of my deaf friends. Be careful, and try not to get into a confrontation with them. At least always have someone else with you, for legal and moral support, and witness.

If they are RID/NAD certified terps, you can certainly file a formal complaint against them for unethical behavior.
 
Heck yeah that is violation of ethics for those terps. They should be appropriately disciplined. There is a time and a place for everything and religious prostlatizing is not what your interpreter should be doing while at work. Sorry to hear about this case.
 
Reba said:
This is a sticky situation, and I don't envy you in trying to solve it.

If the interpreters are employees of the public high school, then you can go to their superiors with your complaint. However, if you do that you risk alienating the young students whom you have been mentoring. They told you about this situation in confidence. How would they feel if you use that private information against interpreters whom they seem to trust and look up to?

Have the students discussed this change of life plans with their parents? Maybe they should be taking a more active role in this situation. I don't recommend you rat out the terps to the parents but encourage the students to talk to their parents about what's happening.

The interpreters really should be reported but if you do it you risk breaking the relationship you have with the students. That's something you will have to weigh carefully.

That's rather odd that the JW terps told the students that they shouldn't go to college. Do the terps in the high school not have college degrees themselves? :hmm:

To be completely honest with you, I have from personal experience knowledge that JW interpreters and signers do use unethical, if not illegal, ways to contact people in the Deaf community. I've caught them in lies, and in breach of hospital privacy laws. They've also used "stalking" and intimidation against some of my deaf friends. Be careful, and try not to get into a confrontation with them. At least always have someone else with you, for legal and moral support, and witness.

If they are RID/NAD certified terps, you can certainly file a formal complaint against them for unethical behavior.
Click to expand...

REBA!!! you Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mentor service is not in the school system but after school.. I am sad because you have alot of points and it disturbs me that I cant save them!! Alot of these parents arent there for them and they look up to me almost in that kind of way! My mother was involved in every aspect of decisions that I made in my life even to this day ( THANKS GOD) but these kids do not have what I did in their home!!


That's rather odd that the JW terps told the students that they shouldn't go to college. Do the terps in the high school not have college degrees themselves? :hmm:


BINGO!!! They do not encourage higher edcuation !!!!!!! However I told someone these intrepreters are making money but are telling an deaf person to hold them self back and do not work or anything because their GOD will provide!!! WHAT!!!!!! IT IS WRONG!! I guess I am letting my emotions gets the best of me but thanks for your input!!!


SIGH!!!!!
 
Reba said:
dTo be completely honest with you, I have from personal experience knowledge that JW interpreters and signers do use unethical, if not illegal, ways to contact people in the Deaf community. I've caught them in lies, and in breach of hospital privacy laws. They've also used "stalking" and intimidation against some of my deaf friends. Be careful, and try not to get into a confrontation with them. At least always have someone else with you, for legal and moral support, and witness.
Click to expand...

Good thing you brought that up. If they are being evangelical in the students' lives, they would be doing it elsewhere. I had a bad run-in with a real-time captioner who did this as well and got involved in my family's lives. I am not going to disclose his church here, but it was unethical and I didn't know that until I learned about the Code of Ethics two years after the fact.

But I agree with Reba's course of actions.
 
That is certainly not right of the interpreters! They are trying to force their opinions onto their pupils... which isn't right! Everyone has the right to their own beliefs and they should not be telling their students what is right and what is wrong... they should do what they are instructed to... translate.

On a side note, one of my good friends is a Jehovah's Witness. She never tries to pressure her religion or anything upon any of us. She did once tell me that I would make a good JW. :lol:
 
souggy said:
Good thing you brought that up. If they are being evangelical in the students' lives, they would be doing it elsewhere. I had a bad run-in with a real-time captioner who did this as well and got involved in my family's lives. I am not going to disclose his church here, but it was unethical and I didn't know that until I learned about the Code of Ethics two years after the fact.

But I agree with Reba's course of actions.
Click to expand...

WOW, ALot of my Students do not know their RIGHTS but darn!!! So how did you get this "real -time captioner" out of your life?
 
Deafcollegegal said:
WOW, ALot of my Students do not know their RIGHTS but darn!!! So how did you get this "real -time captioner" out of your life?
Click to expand...

I failed classes deliberately; I did the homework, but refused to hand them in. The school board saw the IPP (Canadian equalivant to IEP in the States) wasn't working, so they decided to put me under an ASL/PSE interpreter the year after. It wasn't until the second year I had the interpreter, I learned about the Code of Ethics. She felt that it was necessary for me to learn about my rights once I disclosed some of the stuff happened in middle school (ie. being forced to learn SEE and cued speech, switching to real-time captioning and so on, being told what was "right" and what was "wrong" despite my secular background.)
 
souggy said:
I failed classes deliberately; I did the homework, but refused to hand them in. The school board saw the IPP (Canadian equalivant to IEP in the States) wasn't working, so they decided to put me under an ASL/PSE interpreter the year after. It wasn't until the second year I had the interpreter, I learned about the Code of Ethics. She felt that it was necessary for me to learn about my rights once I disclosed some of the stuff happened in middle school (ie. being forced to learn SEE and cued speech, switching to real-time captioning and so on.)
Click to expand...

WOW!!! You are Strong!! I am glad that things got better for you later on.. OUR RIGHTS Are really important!! IT an shame that many people dont know it!!
 
Deafcollegegal said:
Hello, Friends

I just wanted to get something disturbing off of my chest today!!!!

1st of all , I am in college but spend my time mentoring young deafies about everything including life after high school, college, umm anything that they want to talk about. However maybe about 20 of them told me that they will be turning down college offers because their intrepreters that intrepret them in their classes said that it isnt right for them to go to college and that they must become JW ( Jehovah Witnesses). I was shocked and confused because I am an Strong Christian and didnt argee with this statment. 1st of all these intrepreters had no RIGHT to be discussing religion with these students while they should be doing their job!!! It is against the law where I live for teachers or anyone who work for the school to discuss this hot topic. .. Couple of these students came to me and said that they were going to an (Church ) on Sunday with their intrepreter!! They thought it was an NORMAL Church but it wasnt. They had no right to do this and this simply makes my stomach turn. I am not against any religion but what I am against is them not doing their job. Also I found out that on the weekend these intrepreters would show up at their house and stuff, one of my students said that he didnt understand how she got his address then more than 5 student mention the same thing. I heard there is an secret list of all the deaf student's address and such. THIS IS WRONG!! We are human being and if we want Christ in our life it will happen but being force and lied to is not how it should be done. The bottom line is during school this shouldnt be happening. I love my deaf students because they are the next generation but WHat should I do??? Some of them have already turned down full scholarships to college!!! WTFreak!!!! :mad:.................. I looked up Rid Code of Ethics for Intrepreters and this is what i found..
Illustrative Behavior - Interpreters:
2.1 Provide service delivery regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability,
sexual orientation, or any other factor.
2.2 Assess consumer needs and the interpreting situation before and during the assignment and
make adjustments as needed.
2.3 Render the message faithfully by conveying the content and spirit of what is being communicated,
using language most readily understood by consumers, and correcting errors discreetly
and expeditiously.
2.4 Request support (e.g., certified deaf interpreters, team members, language facilitators) when
needed to fully convey the message or to address exceptional communication challenges (e.g.
cognitive disabilities, foreign sign language, emerging language ability, or lack of formal
instruction or language).
2.5 Refrain from providing counsel, advice, or personal opinions.
2.6 Judiciously provide information or referral regarding available interpreting or community
resources without infringing upon consumers’ rights.

Please give me some advice!! also Excuse my spelling and grammar errors due to me being upset my mind is just not cooperating !!!:shock:
Click to expand...

Easy advice: Tell all the Deafies you mentor to just simply SLAM :io: the door in the JW's faces when they show up at their houses. I have had ANNOYING JW's come to my house and I always slam my door in their faces without saying a word and then lock the door and go back to whatever it is that I was doing before they came.
 
LuciaDisturbed said:
Easy advice: Tell all the Deafies you mentor to just simply SLAM :io: the door in the JW's faces when they show up at their houses. I have had ANNOYING JW's come to my house and I always slam my door in their faces without saying a word and then lock the door and go back to whatever it is that I was doing before they came.
Click to expand...
My friend tried that, and then the JW started looking in her house windows! :shock:
 
:wtf::wtf:

That is so out of line I don't even know where to begin! These interpreters are using their jobs to get to Deaf people in an attempt to convert them! Not only that but turning down full scholarships? That's nuts!

:nono::nono:
 
Maybe another resource to contact would be the high school guidance counselor since they are involved with helping students get college scholarships. You could ask the counselor to independently look into the reason why the student won't be using the scholarship, and you wouldn't have to be pointed to as an informant.
 
This is a serious case...these kids could be making decisions that could forever impact the rest of their lives without a clear mind. These terps need to be terminated. Reba's suggestions are good..
 
LuciaDisturbed said:
Easy advice: Tell all the Deafies you mentor to just simply SLAM :io: the door in the JW's faces when they show up at their houses. I have had ANNOYING JW's come to my house and I always slam my door in their faces without saying a word and then lock the door and go back to whatever it is that I was doing before they came.
Click to expand...

I argee with you but it is deeper than closing doors!! I mean one of the intrepreters told my student that God will destroy him if he isnt JW so He was so scared that he went to Their so called "CHurch". I AM LIKE where are your parents? IT is so odd they got his address, vp number , tmail , everything and he never gave it to them nor did his friends!! Just so you know , THey havent came to my house or he** no!!!
 
CJB said:
:wtf::wtf:

That is so out of line I don't even know where to begin! These interpreters are using their jobs to get to Deaf people in an attempt to convert them! Not only that but turning down full scholarships? That's nuts!

:nono::nono:
Click to expand...

Exactly , How I feel !!!!!!!!!!! It is sickening!! In high school , I knew my rights but these kids are just native in an innocent way but the thing is I dont know what to do!!!!!!! Not only scolarships but jobs and some of them even told them that they can to abandon their family and ETC!!!
 
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