ADA & Disability Resource Center | Idaho State University

Deaf Student Handbook

Overview

The ADA & Disabilities Resource Center Idaho State University
Gravely Hall Rm. 123
Box 8121, Pocatello, ID 83209
(208) 282-3599 V/TTY or (208) 282-2294 V/TTY
Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Summer - 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Mission Statement and Goals

The mission of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and Disabilities Resource Center is to increase access to all programs and services sponsored or funded by Idaho State University. This is accomplished by advocating for equitable treatment in all aspects of campus life. Any student, faculty, or staff member who has a qualified permanent or temporary disability may be eligible for services through the center. The ADA and Disability Resource Center acts as a catalyst and agent for compliance with federal and State laws and regulations mandating equal opportunity and access for persons with disabilities. The ADA and Disability Resource Center also provides co-curricular and academically related services that empower individuals to achieve academic and personal self-determination. Its goals are:

To coordinate and provide reasonable accommodations and related disability services for qualified individuals with disabilities.
To advocate for an accessible and hospitable learning environment through removal of informational, physical, and attitudinal barriers.
To promote self-determination and personal responsibility for students with disabilities.

Vision Statement

Equality must be ever won and Idaho State University is not barrier free. Higher education becomes a level playing field only when students with disabilities assume the personal responsibility to advocate vigorously for their civil rights. The ADA and Disabilities Resource Center strives to educate students, faculty, and staff whenever possible in order to make informed choices about their rights and responsibilities. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations enrich our world.

The ADA Disability and Resource Center Staff

Dennis Toney is the Director of the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center. Dennis, earned his B.A., in Health Physical Education and Recreation, from the University of Northern Iowa, in 1977. He earned his M.S., in Education, from the University of Montana, in 1987. In 1994, Dennis began his college teaching career at Dine Community College, on the Navajo Reservation, in Shiprock, New Mexico. He has taught Special Education, Health, Human Services, and Physical Education at the post secondary level. Before coming to Idaho State University, Dennis served two years as the Disabilities Services Coordinator, at the University of Montana.

Todd DeVries is the Assistive Technology Coordinator. Todd earned his B.A. in Religion/ Philosophy in 1989 from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. Todd is currently working on his masters in Counseling and Human Services/Rehabilitation Counseling through the U of I. Todd meets with students to review their documentation and determine academic accommodations. Todd is also responsible for the accessible technology which has been provided by Idaho State University for students with disabilities. Todd also spends one day per week at ISU/Idaho Falls.

Valorie Black is the Program Assistant. Valorie has attended Idaho State University and the College of Technology. For the last 13 years she worked as a paralegal for preeminent Idaho law firms and is currently studying for national certification through NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants). With her strong legal background and knowledge of the workings of various governmental agencies we have been able to streamline our processes.

Staff Interpreters and Service Providers

Our interpreters hold a variety of educational degrees, certification, experience in interpreting at the post secondary level, and Deaf Culture backgrounds. All interpreters are put through a hiring process that includes d/Deaf students and d/Deaf professionals feedback.

Purpose of the Center

The ADA and Disabilities Resource Center staff works to ensure that students with disabilities have equal opportunity to pursue a higher education. We abide by the laws as stated in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and related regulations.

The ADA and Disabilities Resource Center strives to supply qualified individuals to provide equal access to employment, educational, recreational and social activities at ISU. An example for d/Deaf students may mean ASL interpreters, transliterators, text service providers, and other services to facilitate communication needs. When possible, certified service providers are used. However, the main focus is using qualified individuals as service providers. Qualification of service providers is determined by the University and is an ongoing process that involves d/Deaf and Hearing professionals hired by the university.

Access to the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center

ISU students, faculty, and staff who have a disability, have a record of a disability, or are perceived as having a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities may apply for services. Applying for services does not guaranty accommodations. The application is part of a process to determine the types of accommodations to be granted in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Idaho State University policies.

Persons who are blind, deaf, have mobility impairments or diseases such as diabetes, asthma or cystic fibrosis may be able to receive services. Accommodations are also provided for individuals with learning disabilities, attention disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and psychological disabilities, among others.

Registration

Registration is the process of choosing a schedule of classes and paying tuition fees. Students must register before attending any class. Each semester students register for new classes.

Registration is done according to your status as Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Graduate student. Class Schedule books are available at the Registrar's Office in April and November or on the ISU web page. However, with the permission of the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center, d/Deaf students can register early. This helps coordinate service providers in a timely manner.

Please check a copy of the Class Schedule book to see the in-person, on-line and telephone registration times for your class level. If you decide to register in-person and would like to request an interpreter, please schedule a time with the Coordinator of d/Deaf Services.

It is the student's responsibility to bring their class schedule to the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center each semester. On the schedule you need to indicate what classes you will need services for and what types of services you are requesting

Individual Responsibilities

The ADA and Disabilities Resource Center encourages each individual to strive for maximum independence in the pursuit of personal, academic, and vocational goals. Throughout this handbook there will be components about student responsibilities. If there are any questions or concerns about these responsibilities, please contact the Director of the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center.

In Order to be Considered for Services, One Must:

Self-identify to the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center.
Provide current valid documentation of disability (in the case of deafness, an old audiogram may be considered).
Complete all forms as requested by the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center every semester.
Schedule an appointment with the Director or other counselor.
Inform the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center of any changes in address, phone number, or changes in your class schedule.

Documentation Required

Current documentation from a qualified medical or psychological professional is required in most cases. Documentation should include diagnosis, prognosis and recommended accommodations. Information regarding the nature of an individual's disability is held in strict confidence.

After Accommodations are Discussed and Identified, the Individual Agrees to:

Personally deliver a memo that is generated by the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center to your instructor or employer.
Make personal appointments with instructors/employers regarding accommodations.
Work with your instructors or employer to implement accommodations.
Maintain contact with the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center.
Work with service providers to adapt to your needs.

What You Can Expect From Your Service Providers:

Interpreters will follow the RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) Code of Ethics. At ISU we view the RID Code of Ethics as a set of important guidelines that should be followed while on assignment. There are situations that supercede the RID Code of Ethics which may include but are not limited to: personal safety of students, faculty or staff, and severe student conduct issues. However, the above issues will be approached in a professional manner and only taken to the appropriate people. Text support service providers also follow a professional code of conduct similar to the RID Code of Ethics.
All individuals who work for the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center also sign a confidentiality agreement. They will behave in a professional manner and maintain professional standards at all times while providing services.
If all of the steps in the above sections are followed prior to school beginning, you can expect a service provider to be in your classes on the first day. When the above steps are not completed prior to school beginning or in enough time to secure services, the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center will still attempt to secure service providers in a timely manner. It will be the student's responsibility to attend classes and keep up with all assignments while the Coordinator of d/Deaf Services searches for, hires, and assigns service providers.

If the service provider is a sign language interpreter, he/she will remain outside the classroom and wait for you to arrive. The interpreter will wait fifteen (15) minutes. If the student does not arrive, the interpreter will be sent to another assignment. However, if you were detained and unable to contact us prior to the beginning of class, you can call or have someone call the office at 282-3599 to see if an interpreter is still available.

Text service providers will set up in the classroom and wait for students to arrive. The text service provider will wait for fifteen (15) minutes at which time they will be sent to another assignment. However, if you were detained and unable to contact us prior to the beginning of class you can call or have someone call the office 282-3599 to see if the text service provider is still available.

The interpreter and the d/Deaf client will determine interpreter/text service provider's placement. In the case of the interpreter, this normally is the front of the classroom. The text service provider needs to be near an outlet.

Interpreters will work with the student and professor to determine if movies and videos are closed-captioned. If they are captioned, the student needs to inform the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center, prior to the movie, to allow time for a ADA and Disabilities Resource Center representative to work with the professor to ensure the technology is caption friendly. If the movie is not captioned, it will be the student's responsibility to work with the professor to arrange accommodations.

Interpreter No-Show

If the interpreter does not show up for your class, ask your professor to have someone contact the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center at 282-3599. The Center will then contact your interpreter or a substitute interpreter will be sent. It is important that you remain in class. While we hope this never happens, it is important that you report these mishaps to help us prevent this from happening in the future.

The ADA and Disabilities Resource Center tries to place two interpreters in each class. This helps prevent repetitive motion injury to the interpreter, as well as supports clearer interpretation. However, if one of the interpreters does not show up for your class but the other one is on time, you need not worry about calling the office. It will be the responsibility of the interpreter who is in class to report the no-show. Many times the interpreter who does not show up on time was detained on another assignment. Professors are informed at the beginning of the semester that there is a chance one of the interpreters in a team may be late from time to time. Therefore, the tardiness will not reflect on you. Furthermore, the Coordinator of d/Deaf Service is not required to inform d/Deaf students about changes in interpreters schedules, as long as at least one interpreter is assigned and on time. However, when feasible, the Coordinator will inform the student out of courtesy.

Additional Important Information

Teletypewriter (TTY) Use

If you call the Center at 282-3599 using a TTY, please hit the space bar to alert the office worker to a TTY call. Also, allow the office manager time to transfer the call to the TTY in the Interpreter Coordinator's office. You may also ask an interpreter to interpret a telephone call for you if other resources are not available.

Some Accommodations Typically Provided

Some acccommadations that are typically provided include:

assistive technology
enlarged type
FM systems
in-class notetakers
nonstandard test-taking accommodations
permission to tape record lectures
priority registration
sign language interpreters
test proctors
textbooks on tape
transcribers
use of a spell checker

The Best Time to Apply for Services

To maximize the effectiveness of accommodations, we urge individuals to apply for services 6-8 weeks prior to needing them. Some accommodations take 4-6 weeks to accomplish.

Qualified individuals are encouraged to contact The ADA Center prior to or upon enrollment at ISU. It is our responsibility to make every reasonable effort to accommodate your needs. If you encounter structural or attitudinal challenges, please contact us.

Other Resources are Available

You might also be interested in the following services.

SISU Tutoring Program
Academic Skills Center math and writing labs
Commission for the Blind
Counseling and Testing Center
Easter Seals/assistive technology specialists
ISU Facilities Committee
ISU Psychology Clinic
Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic
Student Health Center
TRIO Support Services tutoring and more
Vocational Rehabilitation

Absent or Tardy

If you are more than 15 minutes late for a class, the interpreter will leave.
If you know you will be absent from class, please call the ADA office 24 hours before class begins (282-3599). This will allow enough time to assign your interpreter to a different class.
If you get sick or have an emergency the morning of your class, call the ADA office as soon as possible.

Letters to Professors

Before each semester, you are responsible for picking up an accommodation letter from The ADA Center. It is your responsibility to make as many copies as needed to give to your instructor(s). This letter will inform your professor(s) which accommodation(s) you are eligible to receive. After engaging in an interactive process, where appropriate, the Director of the ADA Center will decide your accommodations in accordance with your documentation.

The ADA Center will also send a letter to your professors before each semester to explain the role of interpreters in the classroom. This letter does not list your accommodations.

Classroom Arrangement

The interpreter will work with you and the professor to determine the best place to sit or stand.

If seating in the front is limited, it is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the professor if the student cannot arrive to class early. Saving seats is not the interpreter's responsibility.

Notetakers

If one of your accommodations is to have a Notetaker notebook you must check it out from The ADA Center each semester. Carbonless paper is extremely expensive. The Center will supply you with one (1) packet of paper. Additional paper can be purchased by you at cost. Please only use this paper for in-class notes. If you need regular notebook paper for other reasons, you are responsible for purchasing it yourself.

Hints for Finding a Good Notetaker

You can ask the instructor to recommend a student to be your notetaker, or you can ask for volunteers.
Try to select your notetaker in each class as soon as possible. Don't put it off too long!
Try to choose a person who sits near the front and pays attention during class. Ask students who you know or upperclass students.
It's a good idea to find one regular notetaker and one or two substitute notetakers for each class.
Notetakers are not a substitute for attending class. Exchange phone numbers with your notetakers so that you can let each other know about absences.
Remember to thank your notetakers throughout the semester and let them know you appreciate their assistance. The ADA Center will provide stipends of $25 for your notetakers, if you so desire.
As of the Fall semester, 2003, we are able to provide notetakers with a $25 stipend which can be used at the University Bookstore. The stipend will only be paid to the primary notetaker. Please check with the ADA Center for specific instructions.

Student Responsibilities

General Information

Many d/Deaf students are more comfortable using text pagers or e-mail to contact the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center. While this is acceptable, know that the technology has its limitations. Pagers do not always send when expected and e-mail messages are not always checked as fast as you may have a need arise. As a general practice, the Coordinator of d/Deaf services checks e-mail every morning and several times a day. The best way to contact the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center, if it is an urgent issues, is to call TTY, relay, or have someone place the call for you. Otherwise, pager or e-mail is acceptable.

Socializing with your interpreter before and after class is acceptable; however, chatting with them during class may be distracting to your instructor of fellow classmates. Interaction in a social situation is not covered by the Code of Ethics. However, most interpreters have the common sense to know when personal conversations need to be maintained as confidential.

If you do not understand your interpreter's signs, you may ask for clarification. Also, if you know a sign for a word that the interpreter keeps fingerspelling, feel free to let the interpreter know the sign you use. Many of the interpreters have learned sign from a specific area. Therefore, they have some regional signs you may not know. It is expected that you let them know when this is causing a communication barrier. The interpreters will be happy to change to your sign choice. Keep in mind that when there is more than one d/Deaf student in a class, the interpreter will need to have the d/Deaf students agree on the sign.

If you have a question about something the professor said, you should get their attention and ask for clarification or you may also set up an appointment with your instructor.

Not doing homework, not paying attention, or sleeping during class is your right. The interpreters are not responsible to tell you the information you missed and the interpreters may rest their hands if no one is attentive to the process. They are responsible to stay attentive to the information and at a moments notice resume the interpretation process. However, most of the time the interpreter will continue interpreting despite the lack or attention from the d/Deaf students. It will be up to the professional judgement of the interpreter to determine if continued signing is appropriate.

Students should work with the interpreter to determine if movies and videos are closed-captioned.

It is expected that students will show respect and courtesy toward interpreters and service providers. Part of this respect is working with them to meet your accommodation needs.

Interpretation

It is the student's responsibility to understand the materials and information presented both in and out of the classroom.
It is your responsibility to make sure the interpreter/service provider knows what form of interpretation is preferred. Every attempt will be made to meet your preferred mode of communication. Keep in mind that this is an individual accommodation not a group accommodation. Therefore, students need to meet with the ADA Director prior to classes to arrange these services. The accommodation process does not mean that you get to pick your interpreter. It does mean you can request the mode of communication. When possible we try to honor such requests when the interpreter requested is a member of our staff. Sometimes meeting these requests is not possible, so it is important that you are able to articulate your language needs and if the interpreter is unable to meet these needs that you follow the grievance process listed below. This process needs to be done each semester. Therefore, if you requested a certain interpreter to not work for you one semester and it was granted, do not assume that you will not be given that interpreter in the future. However, if you feel an interpreter is inadequate for an assignment, after you work with them, you must inform the ADA Director immediately.
If you need an interpreter to voice for you, it is also your responsibility to work with the interpreter. Although, you can make a presentation and other oral assignments without informing the Director or the interpreter about the assignment, it is in your best interest to do some advance preparation. At ISU, the interpreters are expected to prepare for classes they are interpreting. This means they often read the text, meet with the teacher about the material, and bring complex content issues to our training meetings. This process allows them to have higher quality in their interpretation. Often, d/Deaf students just assume they should be able to present and have the same quality of production without giving the interpreter the same preparation time they have for producing the verbal message from the professor. Although we try to hire people who have high quality voicing skills, the profession of interpreting recognizes that "voicing" is a weakness. Therefore, it is part of the student's responsibility to help the interpreter prepare whenever possible. Things that would be helpful would be a copy of your outline, meeting with the interpreter before the presentation, informing the interpreter of complex ideas or unusual words, and a general overview of the goal of the presentation. All these items will improve the interpretation. Other items that would be helpful to discuss with the interpreter are what they will do if they need clarification, such as, will they continue to interpret, use a team interpreter, or ask you for this information and what your vision of this process looks like.

If you feel you are being misrepresented by the interpreter who is voicing for you, you need to follow the grievance process.

Schedule Changes

You must give the ADA Director advance written notice for any class cancellations, room changes, teacher conferences, field trips, tests, or additional interpreting assignments. If you do not give advance notice, you will not be guaranteed an interpreter, though all efforts will be made to cover such assignments. Only University activities and class-related activities will be paid through the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center. If you would like to talk with a peer or the professor before or after classes, we encourage such interaction, however, be aware that sometimes the interpreters may not be available due to their schedules. If this creates a dilemma for you, you will need to contact the Director to arrange an interpreter to be there for you.

Service Provider Requests Forms

Idaho State University is proud to offer many opportunities for students to be involved in academic and non academic activities. These are open to all students. However, if you intend to attend an activity that is not on your original class schedule and want to have service providers, you need to fill out an interpreter request form located in the ADA office. These need to be filled out at least three working days in advance to provide enough time to secure service providers. If you find out less than three working days prior to the event and would still like to attend, you can still fill out the forms and the ADA Director will still attempt to find service providers. Although these forms are titled "Interpreter Request Form" they are also to be used for text service providers. The forms are also useful to inform the interpreter about other special activities such as class field trips, room changes, in class movies, oral presentations, and other activities that are different than the norm.

Off Campus Service Requests

For off campus service requests there is a MINIMUM 2 week notice. The student must first contact the event coordinator to see if there will be appropriate accommodations provided. If there are no appropriate accommodations, the student is to make their request with that event coordinator. If the event application does not have a place to indicate a need for disability accommodations please contact our office with the event materials so we can investigate that situation.

If, after contacting the event coordinator, there is still a need for an interpreter, please contact the Deaf Services Coordinator.

The following information will be required for this type of request in addition to the Ad Hoc Interpreter Request:

Name of Event;
Location of event;
Date(s) of event;
Event Sponsor(s);
Event phone number/e-mail;
Event Coordinator;
Event Coordinator phone number/e-mail;
Instructor of program;
Instructor of program phone number/e-mail; and
Is attendance at this event mandatory? Yes or No.

Tutoring Sessions

If you need a tutor for a class, you can go to the Mathematics Lab, Writing Lab, Trio Support Services, or Content Area Tutoring (CAT) office. You will need to fill out an interpreter request form to arrange interpreters.

Occasionally, we have interpreters who are trained tutors. In rare cases, this may be part of an accommodation. If this is part of your accommodation, the interpreter will not be assigned to interpret in the content area that they are tutoring. There will be distinct guidelines for tutors that differs from interpreters and these will be explained clearly to all parties involved before this accommodation is given. However, in most cases, interpreters will not be used as tutors and should not be viewed in that role.

Conflict Resolution

If conflicts arise with another student, interpreter or faculty member, these conflicts, when possible, should be resolved between the two parties. If a resolution cannot be reached, follow the grievance procedures as detailed below.

Grievance Procedure

Should you disagree with any the implementation of these policies in your situation, you may initiate the following steps:

Contact the ADA Director and explain your grievance. If the grievance is related to your service providers, you should complete a service provider grievance form which is available from the Director. The form will help to articulate your grievance and it will be taken seriously. The Director will use the form to help in assessing the skills of the service provider. Sometimes the students may decide a form is not necessary and simply wish a change in the interpretation. Students are encouraged to meet with their interpreter and advocate for positive change. If this is not successful, the following steps should be taken as soon as possible.
After meeting with you and going over the form, the ADA Director will come observe the interpretation process. A tape, either audio and/or video, will be made (with permission from the professor). The in class observations along with the taped versions will be collected to assess the skills of the service provider and address the complaint. In the event that the Director is unable to observe and assess the process they will assign a qualified representative.
After the results are collected, the Director will meet with the d/Deaf student to inform them about the results. The entire process will be done in a timely manner to ensure that d/Deaf students can continue the educational process with as little interruption as possible.
If the findings support the d/Deaf student's grievance, the service provider will be removed as soon as is reasonable. If the findings differ from the student's complaint and resolution is not immediate, the service provider will continue as the process continues. The student will have responsibility to attend classes and keep up with assignments. Students will also be expected to work with the service provider. In turn, the service provider will also be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner.

If the action taken by the Director is not satisfactory to you then you need to proceed to step two.

Contact the Director of the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center. You will need to fill out an interpreter request form to arrange interpreting services. These are the only two cases where this procedure differs. The Director of the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center will arrange an interpreter. This interpreter will keep any meeting confidential and will be expected to maintain professional practices. If the action taken by the Director of the ADA and Disabilities Resource Center is not satisfactory to you then you need to proceed to step three.
Contact the Dean of Student Affairs or a representative from the Dean's office. You will need to fill out an interpreter request form to arrange for interpreting services. If the action taken by the Dean's office is not satisfactory to you then you may contact the Office of Civil Rights.