College & Career Programs for Deaf Students

This isn’t so much an article but rather a book, intended for high school, DHH students, that lists special programs and services offered in higher education institutions to DHH students across the nation.  Each institution includes a general description of the program and what career areas of study and special services are offered at that institution.  Rochester Institute of Technology and Gallaudet are listed first because they are national programs, meaning they must serve all DHH students.  Most other institutions accept on a state level, though they will accept out of state students as well.  The first thing I noticed was that neither Ohio State nor Bowling Green are listed.  They do include Columbus State Community College (located very near Ohio State), which is known for its sign language program and accreditation.  The second thing I noticed was that this was last updated in 2001.  I know that Ohio State began implementing ASL courses and a disability minor in 2003, so perhaps now, Ohio State would be on the list.  This is a very hand resource for DHH high school students to utilize, especially with its online, searchable database.

I wonder how prevalent this resource in DHH student communities, whether Lindsay would have found this website.  If she had used this website and realized that Ohio State was not listed, why would she still choose to go?  Perhaps it was the prestige, or her family had always gone there, or everyone in her town is a Buckeye fan.  Regardless, though Ohio State does not show up on this database, after continuing to search Ohio State’s website for signs of valuing DHH students, I have found that I do believe OSU provides many reasonable resources and services, so that Lindsay could still feel valued, learn, and be happy with her decision.  In 2006, OSU received recognition for its inclusive approach and resources offered by the Office of Disability Services.  There also appear to be many events and programs sponsored by the ASL club, as well as much support from DHH faculty and staff.

http://research.gallaudet.edu/ccg/index.html

http://oncampus.osu.edu/article.php?id=759

Cultural Forms

When I look back at my experiences at Ohio State, I think of the many cultural forms that could negatively affect Lindsay.  There were many rituals and ceremonial procedures that Ohio State partakes in, such as first year commencement.  Since there are so many people in the incoming classes, Lindsay would most likely find herself sitting in the upper balcony of the basketball stadium (where commencement takes place).  Being all the way up there myself, I remember how it was almost impossible to see the speakers, much less get a good look at their mouths.  Though they were also being filmed on large monitors, the camera angle was still not conducive for Lindsay to lip read.  Though an interpreter was present at the event, she was so far away; Lindsay probably could barely see the interpreter.  This may be something that with good enough communication with Disability Services, Lindsay might have been saved a section near the front near an interpreter, but if Lindsay, being overwhelmed by a large school and the stress of transition failed to get in touch with Disability Services, she would not have that luxury.

Much of the ceremony included musical cues as well.  We were taught the alma mater and then instructed to proceed out of the building, when the music started playing again.  While Lindsay is slightly accustomed to not having good accommodations, having grown up in a predominantly hearing hometown, she probably feels pretty uncomfortable being in a new environment, relying entirely on the physical cues of her unfamiliar peers to let her know when to move or stand, or when  the words of the alma mater were on the screen.  Being amidst so many people, it was probably difficult for Lindsay to start up any conversations with other students or administrative staff where she could see all their mouths, or stay focused.

I also think of the football games.  While I was at the institution, Ohio State actually was sued for not having captions on the screens during football games. Though many of my peers thought “it was strange” that someone hard of hearing would want to go to the games, I’m glad that they have added closed captioning to all the games now.  Football is such an integral part of the Ohio State experience (whether you love it or hate it), that to not be able to go and know what was going on would probably have been pretty disheartening for her.  Now, she can partake in this large social/ cultural form with her peers.

There are other cultural forms that probably help to make Lindsay feel included.  An example is the annual campus involvement fair.  During this fair, Lindsay, though still slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people, gets to walk through and read many of the posters and pamphlets of student organizations.  Since much of this experience is much more personable, many of the students working the booth were also very willing to have focused, in-depth conversations with her about their organizations.  The way the involvement fair is set up with personable interactions and many visual aids were helpful and inclusive to Lindsay.  She also found a very active and popular American Sign Language Club, which automatically makes her feel more appreciated (a nonverbal message of sorts).  Another cultural form that is particularly endearing to Lindsay is the gesture.  Since Lindsay is at Ohio State, where the classic gesture of “O-H-I-O” is prevalent all over campus, this is a cultural form she can always readily identify from across the Oval, or at a football game, etc.  Every time she sees this cultural cue, she is reminded of and filled with a sense of pride of being a Buckeye.

The Human Aggregate

Something we talked about a lot in class a couple of weeks ago is how a person not of the majority, dominant group, has a hard time feeling included and involved.  We focused a lot on personality differences and social presses (such as nonconformist), but this definitely also applies to other differences, including what we stereotypically think of as “diversity” (race, ability, etc.).  Lindsay has been living in a predominantly hearing community all her life.  Where she grew up did not have a strong Deaf community, and since she had grown up her entire life in that city/ town, everyone was accustomed to interacting with her in ways that were helpful to her (not turning around while speaking to her, learning a little bit of sign language, etc.).  Lindsay had of course interacted with Deaf people before, but she and her family did not immerse themselves in it.

However, now that she’s in a completely new environment with people, who are not familiar with her and how to interact with her, I can see her having difficulty to connect and communicate with others.  The accent that affects “deaf speech” can be difficult to understand when one is unfamiliar with it.  At first, Lindsay may struggle, if she is in a residence hall with all hearing students, to find people that she can readily connect with.  I think this is where technology and the Office of Disabilities Services come into play.  She can meet other deaf and hard of hearing students at events on campus, in the ASL student organization, or in the community.  She can also use Facebook to connect with these students, or even hearing students, such as her roommates or floormates, ahead of time to give her that beginning basis before she gets to the University.  By finding the subcommunity of deaf and hard of hearing students, Lindsay will likely feel more comfortable in her environment.  Also, by using technology, Lindsay may be able to lay down the foundations to start a subcommunity on her floor.  It was interesting because in the text, on page 169, it clearly states that feeling a cohesive subcommunity is essential, especially for larger institutions.  Though, overall, the community suffers, it provides more satisfaction for individuals.

Physical Environments Part 2

We had discussed in class how this issue could go either way, I believe that Lindsay would appreciate having the Office of Disability, either in the student center, or at least in a central part of campus.  Having this proximity sends her the nonverbal message that she is valued, that the office is readily available to her in a central location so that she can easily access her resources or address any issues.  Having the office in a central location also lessens any stigmas and serves as an artifact of the institution’s commitment to helping students with disabilities to succeed.

In line with satisfaction and retention, Lindsay would need to be able to feel involved with other students and faculty.  It would be important for buildings, such as the student center or residence halls, to have less crowded areas to study or interact with others.  Being more visually aware than hearing students, constant hustle and bustle of people moving around her as she’s trying to engage with others or her studies may be too distracting.  Also, since Lindsay, being raised by a hearing family, has learned to lip read as well as sign, when communicating with hearing individuals, it is essential that she can find soft architecture, allowing furniture to be maneuvered to face each other, allowing her to participate fully in her conversations.  These quieter areas with soft architecture provide her sociopital, functional, and flexible space to further her involvement with others.

This of course, is all hypothetical and “ideal”.  I need to look into what is truly available at Ohio State and Bowling Green.  I know that in the student center of Ohio State, there is definitely plenty of quieter areas with soft architecture.  Having never experienced any alarms in the Ohio Union, I’m unsure if they would provide that safety mechanism for her there.  I will need to do more in depth research on what other buildings, residence halls, and campus layout have to offer.