"Embarrassed Student" on the forum just had a college experience that, to use an idiom, "really takes the cake." "Embarrassed Student" is hard of hearing and was reading the class material and didn't realized the instructor was trying to get her attention. Next thing, "Embarrassed Student" heard the professor state to the entire class that she (Student) was not "retarded."
I don't know how I would have reacted in Embarrassed Student's shoes. Her reaction was to laugh to herself and feel embarrassed. Perhaps my reaction would have been to march down to the college's disability office, tell them about this experience, and demand that they immediately embark upon a program to educate every single professor on that campus about hearing loss as well as other disabilities.
Did you have an experience similar to Embarrassed Student's? How did you handle it?
IT IS TRUE… MOST PROFESORS DON’T HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH DEAF/CI OR HARD HEARING STUDENTS. SOMETIME THEY MAKE FUN WITH DEAF/CI OR HARD HEARING STUDENTS. I HAVE NOTHING DO WITH IT SO YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT OR INQUIRE THEM. I AM NOT APPRECIATE FOR IT. I HAVE TO TELL YOU HONEST…
Taking classes, I knew it was my job to educate each professor about their opportunity to learn how to work with deaf students, by modeling and explaining about interpreters and methods of attention/communication, as well as using resources from the disability center. After all, teaching them would enrich future deaf and hard of hearing students’ experiences in those classes, so I didn’t feel it as an obstacle.
However, there was an experience in which a professor with an attitude “I’m SUFFERING here because of YOU kids”; he would mockingly ask students whether any of us would know methods or theories of psychology. One day, he asked in a sarcastic tone (and amazing how the interpreter picked up on it and let me know!), “Do ANYONE even know who Pavlov was……..what a pi—” when I interrupted and explained about Pavlov, classical conditioning, and how his studies had contributed to behaviorism/behavioral theory…. and…you know what? He came over, smiling, and patted the interpreter’s shoulder and said, “I am sure that the interpreter had helped out with that…” I was speechless, and so was the interpreter! The interpreter was about to explode, when I quickly asked the other interpreter to take over. I told the professor off in a polite way, and then reported to both the department of psychology and the disability center, not only because of what he had just said to me, but of standing up for other students only. The profesor had to make a public apology to the class.
There’s always the odd few professors that have no clue how varied we are in learning needs.
I was struggling to pay attention four ways to the professor, the interpreter, the computer and the printed material. The professor insisted on complete attention ALL the time and did not like it when students looked elsewhere or took notes. This went on without break for long periods of time.
Once I made the mistake of scanning the computer for the feature the professor was discussing. Suddenly he poked me and growled I was ignoring him.
Most students have widely different avenues of learning–the few teachers that don’t afford this flexibility need to be reported.
Most large campuses have accessibility departments even if they may do a poor job of it. The trick is the student has to TELL folks he requires special considerations-to sit near board, have someone carry books, a note taker, etc. Some rooms even come equipped with devises that connect to aids via bluetooth for smooth audio reception. BUT you gotta ASK- True, there is always the boorish Prof but most will accommodate you if they know what you need or at least try. So many Profs are plagued with inattentive students it is easy to see how a deaf or hoh one might be perceived as one.
I have been a hoh student AND teacher. I practically flunked all my Math courses until I braved my fears and told the teacher I could not read lips when he lectured TO the board.
Stand up for what you need-
I have seen something similar in a preparatory school where very young kids, toddlers really, were being taken care of young educators who didn’t seem to understand the very basics of handling a deaf individual. The school was on a tight budget and hence, it just could not afford the services of someone really qualified in this niche.
As a PhD student who profound-severe deaf but at a top university I can tell you that this type of problem runs both ways. I can’t tell you how often I’m forced to ask both my own students and my own professors to speak up. I’m very sorry to her that such a cruel thing happened to a student but i’m not shocked. We still live in a world in which hearing loss is often equated with intellectual disabilities. When universitys lump those with physical disabilities with those with intellectual and learning disabilities it can be no suprise that such ignorance abounds. I sincerely hope the student goes to their schools admin.
As a hard of hearing person bordering on total deafness by the time I was 45 I found classes extremely difficult. I tried a hobby painting class. Naturally I couldn’t hear the lecturer and as we all had easels in front of us it wasn’t possible for me to always see him. I was a bit behind in one of the excercises so continued to draw in charcoal – when suddenly my easel was grabbed and dragged out into the middle of the room all my stuff falling on the floor. I sat their stunned for the rest of the class. Apparently the lecturer didn’t like me continuing to work. I have no idea whether he had spoken to me or not but I had told him I was deaf. Needless to say I never went back to that class – but neither did I report him… which I should have.
As far as standing up for what you need, I feel that it is necessary to do to educate others and improve things for oneself and to improve things for others as well.
HOWEVER, that does not guarantee that you will be listened to. At my college, they ignored me, mocked me and as a result, they ultimately and consistently denied me support (for years). As a student with hearing loss/deafness, that was an unnecessary struggle that I had to deal with, fight for myself but despite my ADVOCACY (self advocacy and advocating for others) they still ignored me.
Standing up to any kind of discrimination (sexism, racism, etc) is not easy or so simplistic because the discriminators are hell bent on holding onto their archaic and cruel ways of thinking and acting towards others.
This disrespect also tends to happen to students with other kinds of disabilities as well. No student deserves to be ignored or disrespected by professors, administrators or anyone else as they try to get an education.
So, it’s not just the cruel, ignorant professors; sometimes, the administrators, the disability office (sometimes, they are the most egregious offenders) school, colleges and of course, other public places, continue to disregard the needs and requests of those with hearing loss.
To imply that all one needs to do is stand up for oneself and the problem will be solved is to simplify the complex issues involved and the complicated factors that goes with those ignorant, prejudiced, hateful people who usually do not want to hear anything some of us has to say.
But, don’t let the ignorant folks deter you; the battle for yourself, your rights and to be treated fairly and equally (and that of others) is all worth it regardless of the outcome.