Presentation: Inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Sign Language Interpreters in International Educational Exchange Programs
This Post Secondary Education Network (PepNet) conference session focused on creating strategies for increased participation of deaf and hard of hearing students in the wide range of international exchange programs. Dialogue includes answers to basic exchange questions, creative strategies for providing sign language interpreters abroad, and perspectives on legal and funding issues.
Providing Accommodations on Exchange Programs
This section of the paper contains questions and answers by participants and a presenter in the PEPNet session.
Q: Does the university pay for the interpreter? Did the University of Minnesota pay for sign interpreters for a deaf student to go abroad?
Wendy Harbour: At the time I worked for the University of Minnesota, the campus decided to go ahead and fund accommodations for every trip that deaf or hard of hearing students wanted to take – unless it was not affiliated with their academic career in any way. One student decided to go to East Germany on her own, and the University would not pay for that. Although she did an independent paper for a class, the University did not sponsor the trip, so an interpreter was not sent. There were other situations where we did send an interpreter, because it was clearly related to that student’s degree. One must make a judgment call about this. I think the question to ask is: “Is this affiliated in any way with our university?” If so, in my personal opinion, I think the postsecondary institution is responsible. Something else to consider is whether or not the trip will be made in conjunction with another organization that will pay. For example, MIUSA provides sign language interpreters on their own programs. Overall, though, deciding when to fund interpreters is a sticky issue.
Q: How can one address the upper level administration at a university who will not pay to send an interpreter on such a trip, since they are afraid of setting a precedent?
Wendy Harbour: While Mobility International USA would not provide interpreters for a university program, they would provide free one-on-one consulting to help brainstorm creative options, or they would give referrals to help find interpreters in that country or negotiate through the law. In my personal opinion, especially given that your university counsel said no, you might be vulnerable for an OCR complaint. I believe study abroad is clearly a program under the university – any other student can go. If you are not making it accessible, you are vulnerable. Know that it is expensive, and I know that the institution would be setting a precedent, causing other students to want to go, too. At the same time, I encourage you to talk about the benefits and focus on the fact that this is a program available to every other student. It is tantamount to saying they will not provide interpreters for off- campus internships. This is one that just happens to be very far away.
I was a disability services director for seven years, so I have looked at it from the budgetary side. One basic issue is this: Is the person going to England where they speak English, or Spain where they speak Spanish (and every other student who is going to that program has a language requirement before they can go)? That supports the decision; if the deaf student wants to go, it must be determined whether or not they have access to Spanish language classes on campus. Once they get there, if part of the responsibility and expectation is that students are taking classes in Spanish in Spain, is it appropriate to send an interpreter from the United States who knows Spanish and is giving the language in ASL? Or, do we have to give them access to Spanish Sign Language? That is one issue.
The issue of legal obligations is another, and there is a lot of disagreement here. It is unclear whether the ADA applies overseas or not. There are employment situations where it does apply overseas. Section 504 is very clear that all programs have to be accessible. Some campuses wonder if their institution has a campus overseas somewhere. Harvard, for example, has one overseas. That is a program access issue. Some universities are drawing the line with their international exchange programs, declaring that, for instance, they contract with another university in England and cannot force that university to become accessible. Here in the United States, we say our program is accessible and that students can apply and go, but I cannot promise you that they will provide interpreters in England.
Universities are splitting hairs over these issues, and it depends upon funding. If we send an interpreter, it will be expensive. What is the mission of the university? If part of the mission is cultural diversity, then there is really the encouragement for students to participate in a study abroad program. We are not supporting our mission if we do not allow students with disabilities to go. Try to talk to institutions in ways that tie into these “hot button” issues. Legally, there are some rulings that support my comments, and some that do not. But, as a university, I believe it is the right thing to do. You need to find those “hot buttons” that the administration will buy into to sell it to them.
The other thing you might want to do is make a contact list (with the help of NCDE) of other universities that have done exchanges. Contact universities that have sponsored an exchange, and even contact a couple of them that did not and discover what happened as a result of that response. Provide that information to the administration.
Audience member: In my opinion, at a liberal arts university, almost everything is optional, so it should not factor into the considerations. You have optional extra-curricular activities and student organizations. Study abroad programs are one more optional thing. It is an attitude really, and money becomes a non-issue when you overcome that. I have worked with the administration at my university. For a while, they would ask what the cost is and how much each student costs in our program. I told them I would not do that. So, instead, I submitted GPAs of the students I served and documented their retention rate as compared to the university at large. I would go to the President and the Provost to ask if these students are the ones they did not want at the university. Most of the students had 3.5 GPA or above. This was another angle I used to discuss the issue, instead of focusing on the cost. The point to make might also include the value of having cultural diversity experiences. I would bring it back to the mission of the university and turn it around on them. Take the “deafness” out of it and ask if this is not the kind of student they want at their university. Turning the angle, as opposed to just saying it’s the “right” thing to do, may work.
Wendy Harbour: If you need a pep talk, it is worth it to contact MIUSA’s Clearinghouse and ask questions – not only for the deaf students but also for the students with other disabilities. The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange can help.
National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE)
Mobility International USA (MIUSA)
Tel/TTY: (541) 343-1284
Fax: (541) 343-6812
Email: clearinghouse@miusa.org
Web: www.miusa.org/ncde
