Miller 1

Chandler Miller Professor Camargo ENGL 1102 March 26, 2014 Think About It from Their Perspective Deaf-blindness is having simultaneous hearing and visual impairments. The combination of the two causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. After reading that definition how could you possibly think that a person that is suffering through that could ever enjoy the college experience like a regular college student could? The obstacles that a deaf-blind college student overcomes are tremendous in comparison to the ones that usually come to mind for a college student. Do you think you could do it? Going to college is the usually considered to be the best time for a teenager, I know I was excited to get away and finally experience life on my own. On the other hand going off to college could be the most stressful time for a person. After going through life with the same support system, and friends and surroundings life without those support systems could be extremely scary for a teenager who has been living with deaf-blindness and that support their entire life. Learning a new campus, having new surroundings and making new friends is scary enough not being deaf or blind so I could not imagine how much more scary or overwhelming it is for one who is deaf or blind. Once they have reached a university majority just want to fit in with everybody else and be seen a just a normal teenager, they just want to be accepted by

Miller 2

everyone. Depending on the university they choose, there will be plenty of help available to those students to help them have the most normal college experience they could possibly have. To present the differences between a college student and a college student suffering from deaf-blindness a study was conducted. Katrina Arndt, Ph.D, a professor at St. John Fisher College was leader of the survey and found that there are three main things that a deaf-blind college student usually experiences while in college. One of those 3 major points is Students struggled at times with their social relationships. They had little free time, did not always feel welcome in the college's strong deaf community, and had difficulty starting conversations with others (Arndt, 1). Suffering from deaf-blindness could sometimes prevent those from coming out from their shell and truly showing who they are because they sometimes feel they would not be accepted. During my primary research I was able to watch how the person I shadowed interacted with others throughout his day. What I observed agrees with what was found in the study conducted by Dr. Arndt on some levels but it also displays some differences in the study and what his daily life was. He interacted well with those who are also in the deaf-blindness community at UNC-Charlotte, he had friends who like him were partially blind and he was able to start and hold a normal conversation with them with ease. When it came to talking to me for example, he struggled, which goes along with what the survey proved. In comparison to the normal college experience, which is when people usually come out of their shell and change and become who they want to be, those suffering from deaf-blindness experience the opposite, which is sad when you think about it. As a college student technology is extremely vital in our everyday lives. Constantly on our phone checking emails, texting, and the occasional tweet or posting a status to Facebook. Without the use of technology, live would be very different. While we act like technology is the

Miller 3

center of our world, for those college students who are suffering from deafness or blindness the use of technology actually is the center of their world. Texting or the use of email is sometimes the only medium for them to be able to get through to those who do not suffer from deafness or blindness and struggle to understand them. While doing research I found a video that explains in detail some college experiences from a young man who is consider to be deaf-blind, his name is Josh and he is a student at the University of Toledo. During his interview he tells of how much technology helps in his day to day life, he explains that, technology has allowed him to break barriers, email helps as well to get my point across (Interview. 2009). Without the use of technology Josh would not be able to break that barrier with some people, for example when I was listening to his interview I was having a hard time understanding everything he was saying and had technology been used to help interpret what he saying it would have been much easier to understand all he was saying. Studying is something that every student struggles with while in college, there is always something else that will jump out in front of you and distract you whether it be parties, friends, or even television. For a deaf-blind college student the obstacles that come with achieving academic success are much greater than deciding whether to study or go to a party. Dr. Arndts study points out that, being underestimated, getting the correct accommodations and feeling overwhelmed (3) are just a couple of examples of the obstacles that those in the deaf-blind community have to face. After finishing the shadowing aspect of my primary research I was able to ask some questions just to gain more insight into just how different his experience in classes and college life is to my experience. He explained how frustrating it is that in some of his classes he is not able to fully get everything he feels he could out of the class because the right accommodations have not been made for him which goes along with the findings in the

Miller 4

survey. He went on to tell me that it has to be more than the accessibility services requesting a note taker for the different classes he takes, he is very appreciative of the notes and the note taker but he also wishes that more could be done for him. On the other some students feel as if them being offered too much help is underestimating their abilities. A student who participated in the survey states, People always seem to underestimate what we can and cannot do in a college classroomthey thought that I would not be able to keep up. But is it your right to say that I cant do without giving me a chance? (qtd. In Arndt 2). While others prefer the extra help or cushion, there are also some who want to have the chance to prove that they can do everything that somebody who does not suffer from deafness or blindness can do. After doing all the research I have come to the conclusion that while those who suffer from deaf-blindness indeed do have an experience that is nothing close to the what those who do not suffer from deaf-blindness. They have to overcome the regular obstacles that every college student faces, on top of the ones that are presented because they are deaf or blind. As a result of the differences between the two experiences, the experience gained by those who are deaf-blind is one that is considerably more valuable to that person because they are able to learn things about themselves that one who does not suffer from deaf-blind could never experience.

Miller 5

Works Cited

"Deafblind ." Perkins-School for the blind . Perkins , 03 April 2000. Web. 10 Mar 2014. http://www.perkins.org/inside-perkins/deafblind-program/ Josh. Interview by Sarah Cook. The Perspective of a Deaf College Student. The Perspective of a Deaf College Student, 2010. Web. 04 November 2010. Katrina , Arndt Ph.D. Fisher Digital Publications , 2011. 01. February <http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=education_facpub>.