SayWhatClub March 2007 Newsletter

Over the past few months ADA laws have been challenged. In Westbury, Long Island, the Cave family is battling their local school district for not allowing their son John to attend school with his service dog Simba. After reading comments on several websites, I was quite taken aback by the anger people expressed toward the deaf and how humbled we should be that the school system even gives him interpreters. And there are those believing that their taxes are being wasted on these forms of discrimination suits.

As a hearing impaired individual, I can certainly appreciate the school system giving John access to all the educational accommodations that I never had growing up, but he is entitled to those accommodations as a result of ADA laws. After reading all the various blogs, I no longer feel the need to justify why John should have this dog. The fact of the matter is ADA laws are in place to protect John and Simba's rights and either the courts protect them or we are all in danger of eventually being discriminated against.

This is a case of a hearing dog being denied access into a public building. It may not affect you or me personally. But the next time, it may be your employer deciding not to accomodate you in a staff meeting with CART. Or your employer may decide to give you an unsatisfactory rating because your voice is too loud when speaking on the telephone to clients. Or maybe, you will be in the hospital and the administration will not respond to your request to have someone interpret. Remember, every time an ADA law is challenged and beaten, we all lose.

This quarterly issue of Voices Online includes a two-part interview with Nancy Cave. Nancy is a mother battling their local school district to allow her son John's service dog into the public high school with him. We also had the pleasure of several interviews, one with the Starkey Foundation, an organization which gives free hearing aids around the world and the dizzy Doctor, a specialist in balance disorders. Several of our members share their cochlear implant stories and we have the pleasure of an audiologist who specializes in cochlear implants answering your questions as well as Michael answering audiology concerns. ENJOY!