Schools strive to accommodate deaf
By Jodi Garber
El Paso Times
Rosie Yanez needs to bring two extra people to her classes at El Paso Community College to make sure she understands what the professor is saying.
Yanez, 22, doesn't speak English she uses sign language.
As a deaf student at a mainstream college in El Paso, Yanez often struggles to make sure she has an interpreter and a person who takes legible notes.
"I've been mainstreamed all my life," Yanez said through an interpreter. "I don't see the point of going to a deaf college."
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that they have equal opportunity.
The act requires that schools provide deaf students with "effective communication."
"The college has to make sure they modify their policies and procedures so they don't discriminate," said Lea Marek, an ADA technical assistant at the Southwest ADA Resource Center.
EPCC and the University of Texas at El Paso are working hard to make sure their deaf students get the services they need to be successful, officials from both schools say.
Both schools provide deaf students with an interpreter and a note-taker in each class. Students can also attend tutoring sessions if they need help with classes.
But making sure deaf students can understand classes is the tough part, officials from both schools say.
"With them, communication is the biggest thing," said Susan Lopez, director of Disabled Student Services at UTEP. "And also the English language because English is not their first language."
Most people don't realize that sign language does not translate directly to English, deaf students say. Sign language has three different versions, which means that some students do not understand their interpreters, depending on which version they speak.
Then there is the difficulty of translating college-level classes.
"I can have a translator that can be the best translator in the world, and let's say they're trying to translate a trigonometry course - if you don't understand the theory, how can you translate to the student?" said Tim Nugent, EPCC vice president.
Communication problems can be resolved. If students at either school have trouble understanding their translator, they can request a switch. But the schools cannot always send another translator because the demand is too great.
"Probably one of the most critical issues we're facing is trying to find resources," Nugent said. "Not only money, but also the human resources to be able to offer the services we need."
UTEP's Lopez agrees.
"We have a small population, and that does make it a challenge for finding interpreters," she said. "We lose a lot of interpreters."
Andrew Sanchez, one of UTEP's most highly certified interpreters, said he could be paid much more in other cities.
"There are opportunities out there that are not available in El Paso," Sanchez said.
Nugent said EPCC has a nationally recognized service model for providing services to students with disabilities. Yet he says the program needs to be better.
This year has been particularly difficult for EPCC because the director of the Center for Students with Disabilities took another job, leaving the department without a leader while the disabled-student population continues to grow.
"The number of students with disabilities we are trying to work with here has increased dramatically," Nugent said.
A growing population
Mike McNett, coordinator of disability-support services at EPCC, said the disabled-student population has grown by 500 percent over the past four years. The college has more than 1,000 disabled students. About 75 EPCC students are deaf or hard of hearing, and 15 of those students need interpreters in their classes.
At UTEP, the number of disabled students is smaller but also on the rise. This year there are about 275 disabled students at the university, nine of whom are deaf. Lopez said she knows of two or three more deaf students who are applying for admission.
The smaller number of deaf students at UTEP makes it easier to help them, Lopez said.
"We know the students really well, and we know their preferences and how they work best," she said.
UTEP student Javier Herrera, who is studying graphic design, said he feels empowered.
"If I can understand the writing clearly, I'll keep the note-taker," he said through an interpreter. "If not, I'll try to find someone I understand."
Herrera said the same goes for his interpreters.
Adjusting can be hard
At EPCC, because of stretched resources, making adjustments is not always easy.
Yanez says she has had to drop several classes over the past few years because the interpreters provided by the college have not been qualified. The beginning of this semester was particularly trying. At one point, she had an interpreter but no note-taker in class.
"Since I need to watch the interpreter, it is hard for me to look up and down from the interpreter to the boards and keep up with the teacher," she said.
Now, several weeks into the school year, Yanez says the situation is improving, but some EPCC interpreters are not qualified enough.
EPCC deaf students say they would like all their interpreters to be certified, but many of them are recent graduates from EPCC and do not yet have much experience or certification. Some students are so frustrated with the services provided at EPCC that they want an outside agency to come in and audit the department.
Yanez says she has struggled at the beginning of every semester to get the services she needs, and she wants things to improve not only for herself but also for the deaf students who will study at EPCC in the future.
Hiring a new director
The college is in the process of hiring a new director for the Center for Students With Disabilities. Nugent says a panel will make the selection and that panel will include a disabled student. Yanez and other deaf students want an expert from outside the college to sit on the committee and advocate for the deaf students.
McNett said the college is on the path to making the program better. A new training program has begun to increase the interpreters' skills.
"We need to make sure we're on track with this," he said.
But he pointed out there just aren't enough certified interpreters in El Paso. He said all EPCC interpreters go through an "evaluation process to determine their skill levels" before they are hired.
At UTEP, all interpreters are certified, Lopez said.
"The law says qualified, not certified, but the university feels that qualification comes with certification," she said.
Lopez said that when you come out of the interpreter program at EPCC, "you are not really ready to be an interpreter in a university setting."
But with the shortage of interpreters in El Paso, nobody is left with many choices. Even at UTEP, Lopez said, she would like all interpreters to be certified at Level 3. Most, however are at Level 1. Interpreters can have five different levels of certification in the state of Texas.
Struggle seems worthwhile
Despite difficulties providing services to deaf students, both EPCC and UTEP are seeing positive results.
At EPCC, McNett said hearing-impaired students and other students with disabilities used to have very low grade-point averages.
"In this department, eight years ago, the majority of the students were in remedial or lower-level classes," he said. "Now the hearing-impaired students have grade-point averages that are comparable to other students."
Nugent said that while EPCC's resources are stretched, the influx of disabled students is welcome.
"The ADA was passed and gave more voice to that population and they are now understanding that they have specific rights," he said. "I think it's wonderful."
Jodi Garber may be reached at jgarber@elpasotimes.com
Schools strive to accommodate deaf
By Jodi Garber
El Paso Times
Rosie Yanez needs to bring two extra people to her classes at El Paso Community College to make sure she understands what the professor is saying.
Yanez, 22, doesn't speak English she uses sign language.
As a deaf student at a mainstream college in El Paso, Yanez often struggles to make sure she has an interpreter and a person who takes legible notes.
"I've been mainstreamed all my life," Yanez said through an interpreter. "I don't see the point of going to a deaf college."
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that they have equal opportunity.
The act requires that schools provide deaf students with "effective communication."
"The college has to make sure they modify their policies and procedures so they don't discriminate," said Lea Marek, an ADA technical assistant at the Southwest ADA Resource Center.
EPCC and the University of Texas at El Paso are working hard to make sure their deaf students get the services they need to be successful, officials from both schools say.
Both schools provide deaf students with an interpreter and a note-taker in each class. Students can also attend tutoring sessions if they need help with classes.
But making sure deaf students can understand classes is the tough part, officials from both schools say.
"With them, communication is the biggest thing," said Susan Lopez, director of Disabled Student Services at UTEP. "And also the English language because English is not their first language."
Most people don't realize that sign language does not translate directly to English, deaf students say. Sign language has three different versions, which means that some students do not understand their interpreters, depending on which version they speak.
Then there is the difficulty of translating college-level classes.
"I can have a translator that can be the best translator in the world, and let's say they're trying to translate a trigonometry course - if you don't understand the theory, how can you translate to the student?" said Tim Nugent, EPCC vice president.
Communication problems can be resolved. If students at either school have trouble understanding their translator, they can request a switch. But the schools cannot always send another translator because the demand is too great.
"Probably one of the most critical issues we're facing is trying to find resources," Nugent said. "Not only money, but also the human resources to be able to offer the services we need."
UTEP's Lopez agrees.
"We have a small population, and that does make it a challenge for finding interpreters," she said. "We lose a lot of interpreters."
Andrew Sanchez, one of UTEP's most highly certified interpreters, said he could be paid much more in other cities.
"There are opportunities out there that are not available in El Paso," Sanchez said.
Nugent said EPCC has a nationally recognized service model for providing services to students with disabilities. Yet he says the program needs to be better.
This year has been particularly difficult for EPCC because the director of the Center for Students with Disabilities took another job, leaving the department without a leader while the disabled-student population continues to grow.
"The number of students with disabilities we are trying to work with here has increased dramatically," Nugent said.
A growing population
Mike McNett, coordinator of disability-support services at EPCC, said the disabled-student population has grown by 500 percent over the past four years. The college has more than 1,000 disabled students. About 75 EPCC students are deaf or hard of hearing, and 15 of those students need interpreters in their classes.
At UTEP, the number of disabled students is smaller but also on the rise. This year there are about 275 disabled students at the university, nine of whom are deaf. Lopez said she knows of two or three more deaf students who are applying for admission.
The smaller number of deaf students at UTEP makes it easier to help them, Lopez said.
"We know the students really well, and we know their preferences and how they work best," she said.
UTEP student Javier Herrera, who is studying graphic design, said he feels empowered.
"If I can understand the writing clearly, I'll keep the note-taker," he said through an interpreter. "If not, I'll try to find someone I understand."
Herrera said the same goes for his interpreters.
Adjusting can be hard
At EPCC, because of stretched resources, making adjustments is not always easy.
Yanez says she has had to drop several classes over the past few years because the interpreters provided by the college have not been qualified. The beginning of this semester was particularly trying. At one point, she had an interpreter but no note-taker in class.
"Since I need to watch the interpreter, it is hard for me to look up and down from the interpreter to the boards and keep up with the teacher," she said.
Now, several weeks into the school year, Yanez says the situation is improving, but some EPCC interpreters are not qualified enough.
EPCC deaf students say they would like all their interpreters to be certified, but many of them are recent graduates from EPCC and do not yet have much experience or certification. Some students are so frustrated with the services provided at EPCC that they want an outside agency to come in and audit the department.
Yanez says she has struggled at the beginning of every semester to get the services she needs, and she wants things to improve not only for herself but also for the deaf students who will study at EPCC in the future.
Hiring a new director
The college is in the process of hiring a new director for the Center for Students With Disabilities. Nugent says a panel will make the selection and that panel will include a disabled student. Yanez and other deaf students want an expert from outside the college to sit on the committee and advocate for the deaf students.
McNett said the college is on the path to making the program better. A new training program has begun to increase the interpreters' skills.
"We need to make sure we're on track with this," he said.
But he pointed out there just aren't enough certified interpreters in El Paso. He said all EPCC interpreters go through an "evaluation process to determine their skill levels" before they are hired.
At UTEP, all interpreters are certified, Lopez said.
"The law says qualified, not certified, but the university feels that qualification comes with certification," she said.
Lopez said that when you come out of the interpreter program at EPCC, "you are not really ready to be an interpreter in a university setting."
But with the shortage of interpreters in El Paso, nobody is left with many choices. Even at UTEP, Lopez said, she would like all interpreters to be certified at Level 3. Most, however are at Level 1. Interpreters can have five different levels of certification in the state of Texas.
Struggle seems worthwhile
Despite difficulties providing services to deaf students, both EPCC and UTEP are seeing positive results.
At EPCC, McNett said hearing-impaired students and other students with disabilities used to have very low grade-point averages.
"In this department, eight years ago, the majority of the students were in remedial or lower-level classes," he said. "Now the hearing-impaired students have grade-point averages that are comparable to other students."
Nugent said that while EPCC's resources are stretched, the influx of disabled students is welcome.
"The ADA was passed and gave more voice to that population and they are now understanding that they have specific rights," he said. "I think it's wonderful."
Jodi Garber may be reached at jgarber@elpasotimes.com
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