Deaf/Hard of Hearing ping list
with interests in health and society
Posted on 11/28/2006 4:23:03 PM PST by Graybeard58
PHOENIX -- The state Attorney General's Office is suing Pima Community College, charging it didn't provide the help a hearing impaired student said she needed.
Legal papers filed in Maricopa County Superior Court say that the college did provide sign language interpreters so that Stacey Duvall could understand what her instructors in the pharmacy technology program were saying.
But Assistant Attorney General Sandra Kane said that in at least two of the cases, Duvall could not understand the interpreters. Kane said, though, that the college insisted the two were qualified and refused to replace them.
At one point there was an in-class confrontation between Duvall and her interpreter.
Duvall filed a complaint with the Attorney General's Office last year. And she ended up withdrawing from her courses this past spring and did not graduate in May as scheduled, according to the lawsuit, "because of the stress caused by the dispute between Duvall and the college."
College spokesman Dave Irwin said officials do not comment on current litigation.
Kane said the law is clear that places of "public accommodation" -- which includes the college -- cannot discriminate based on someone's disability. But she said the law requires more.
"The statute requires that the public accommodation make sure that they take steps that may be necessary to ensure that an individual is provided access," Kane said.
She said that means doing what is necessary to guarantee that someone with a disability is not excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently because of the failure to provide necessary aids and services. And that, said Kane, means "qualified interpreters to ensure effective communication."
Kane said that by failing to provide Duvall with an interpreter that the woman could understand, the college essentially denied her the ability to participate in the classes.
The lawsuit asks that Duvall be compensated for any damages she suffered. Kane said she does not know whether Duvall wants to re-enroll in the program or simply is seeking compensation.
It also asks that the college be punished with a fine of up to $5,000.
i'm wondering why she could not understand the interpreters.
Maybe, in addition to being deaf, she is stupid?
Ping!
Deaf/Hard of Hearing ping list
with interests in health and society
Or maybe the interpreter was incompetent. As a Deaf person I happen to know something about that.
It's possible that the interpreters were competent, but did not sign in a form that was easily understood for the student, e.g., if the student best understands ASL and the interpreter was working in signed English, or worse, SEE sign, and it was hard to follow to a level that the student could fully understand the lesson.
What you say is very true. I appreciate you posting this information. Hopefully it will enlighten some of the other posters who assume the Deaf person is dumb because she couldn't understand the interpreter.
Maybe, in addition to being stupid, you are just misinformed???
The interpreters were likely unqualified. I have been in situations with my daughter where the interpreters finger spell everything or are simply unqualified.
Why would you suggest she is stupid? I'm curious.
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