In 2009, a California-based high school student with a cochlear implant asked her school district to provide realtime captions in class, instead of a FM system, which she said gave her headaches and relayed static noise. At end-2012, the case was reopened with a similar, second case in the state.
Read: Student asks Tustin schools to provide CART service
The student’s lawyer noted, “The hope is to get some clear legal precedent so the next kid coming up from middle school will have a clear definitive answer for this [issue]”. A familiar story for students and parents who often campaign for school supports and break ground for students in later years.
Read: Student appeals to 9th Circuit for live captions
Both these cases raise the need to clarify provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US. Specifically, judges are concerned that IDEA does not harmonise with ADA in these cases, possibly creating a precedent for future students.
In the Irish context, live captions are not routinely provided in schools, but deaf/hh students starting third level courses can request this facilitation.
More Reading
- Students Put Texas State University On The Spot
- Cornell STEM Captioning May Reach High Schools
- Australia To Take Classroom Captioning ‘National’
- TeachNet Blog: Closed Captions In The Classroom
- Deaf Student Uses Captions In An Operating Theatre
- Deaf Student Doctor Adds Perspective To Training
- Deaf Teen Open To IT Work After Captions Support
- ‘Disability Law News’ Blog Cites Sound Advice’s Advocacy
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