Yesterday I took a look at the Call for Presentations for the 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and was shocked to see this line: “Interpreters (voice and signing) will not be provided.”
This boggles my mind. It seems we always have to fight the hearing world to get interpreters, but now we have NTID, which gets millions from the government to educate the deaf, saying explicitly in writing, “No! You can’t have an interpreter! Don’t even ask!”
So what happens if a non-speaking alumnus gives a workshop in sign language and the audience includes non-signing alumni and spouses? Are they supposed to just sit there not knowing what’s going on?
What if an alumna has all kinds of great information to share but has never become proficient in sign language and prefers to speak? Are we deafies supposed to sit there looking dumb, or is the alumna supposed to drop the idea of giving a workshop in the first place?
Like I said, my mind is boggled. NTID is the last place in the world that I would expect to come out and say that it is going to have a program but it is not going to provide any interpreters. Can anyone help me understand this?
10 Comments
January 25, 2008 at 11:32 pm
that’s nuts… I can’t wrap my thought around that either!
January 27, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Tom, I’m shocked. Gallaudet University has interpeters at their workshops because the hearing community comes out and supports the deaf.
NTID should be doing the same because many of our ALUMNI have hearing spouses, hearing friends, and current students will be inviting hearing RIT students to come see this reunion as well! I want to say that I hope we’re not being dis-inclusive of the hearing because RIT forced all the NTID students out of their dorms years ago to mingle with the hearing community in the other dorms. NTID was cramped (building 60), NTID had dreamed to move to DC and take Gallaudet’s NorthWest campus. But RIT offered to build the new building 18 (Hugh L Carey) near building 60. But once NTID’s deal with Gallaudet fallen through, building 18 was relocated to the far corner of the campus.
so I hope NTID is trying not to dis-including our hearing allies. Because if they do, it’ll be a lasting damage.
January 27, 2008 at 5:23 pm
This is news to me of NTID’s one-time dream to move to DC, but I’ve always wondered why the Carey Building was plunked down at the far opposite corner of the RIT campus, quite a trek from the rest of NTID’s buildings.
On a related note, RIT really ought to be creative and extend the tunnels throughout the entire campus. It doesn’t have to be a bleak and blah tunnel like under the dorms; if done right, it could have windows and skylights and little shops along the way and places to stop and sit down and some coffee carts scattered here and there.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to go all over campus all day long and never have to deal with a winter coat or snow-encrusted shoes?
January 27, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I wonder if you thought about asking Mr. Matthew Driscoll why interpreters could not be provided at workshops. I could have asked him but it is a kind of bad manner to usurp your opportunity to ask him. I have the feeling that it is somewhat related to cost or lack of funding.
About your idea of tunnels all over the campus, don’t you think that the students will become more spoiled when they don’t even have to go outside for a whole quarter?
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
January 28, 2008 at 7:05 am
I did send emails last week to Matthew Driscoll as well as the workshop coordinator. So far I have not heard back from either one.
I forget how much RIT gets from the government to run NTID .. something like $80 million a year .. so the “lack of funds” defense rings hollow.
And we don’t accept “lack of funds” as an excuse from people for not providing interpreters when they are legally required to do so.
January 29, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Just because NTID receives so many millions of dollars from the federal government ($56,708,000 for the fiscal year of 2006 and $60,757,000 for the fiscal year of 2008, to be precise; the amount for the fiscal year of 2007 seems to be same as 2006 due to continuing resolution made by the Congress) does not necessarily mean that it can expend the dollars profligately. I am sure that the agreement between RIT and the Department of Education imposes some constraints on the use of the money coming from the government. Other possible explanation is the competition for money from various events and activities.
While we are waiting for an explanation from Mr. Matthew Driscoll, is there anything else that we can do? Can we set up some kind of sponsorship or can we seek some sponsors? Any other ideas?
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
February 7, 2008 at 12:54 pm
It is the budget of the entire university, not just NTID, but also RIT to determine if there is an undue financial burden. However, since this is an alumni event/activity, it is the budget of the alumni association, not the university. I know the university is affiliated with their alumni, but when it comes to events/activities and espectially fianaces, the alumni assoication is on their own…so lack of funds can be a possible inquiry.
T
February 7, 2008 at 1:19 pm
what a shame nitd is nothing but a crock of shzt worng place to go for the deaf students
February 10, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Gee Charlie, that’s not a nice thing to say. Before I went to NTID I was just floating around deaf in Hearing Land but then I went to NTID and it made all the difference to me. It is great that deaf people have a variety of choices when it comes to where they go to college.
Some are speculating about what NTID can spend its money on. I haven’t seen their budget, but an alumni reunion would seem a legitimate expense because of its potential to bring back even more money into the school if they can successfully translate the excitement and good will from the reunion into cash donations.
It’s not up to us to seek sponsors as Joseph suggested. I would think that effort would come from NTID’s alumni office as well as the chapters around the country.
I still haven’t heard back from either person at NTID.
May 30, 2008 at 3:37 pm
It’s not a case of interpreters not being available for the NTID workshops.
They are available…but…interpreters are provided, by those holding the workshops, at their expense.
The reunion committee simply said that THEY would not provide them.