"From Where I Sit" Video Series

Kellie's Story – Faculty Response Video Transcript

Laurie Isenberg:
She seems to be coming from a place — kind of social and economic privilege, and made it very clear about exactly what she needs.

Dr. Hank Reichman:
She was so expressive, I guess, this would be the ideal. I was finding myself feeling defensive and thinking like, "Do you know what my department's S&S budget is? Do you know what it would take to give handouts every class?" Even though I agree with her, that is what I would love to do.

Dr. Jennifer Eagan:
She was definitely advocating for herself, but I think that that's something that as professors we need to help students to be aware of, that they can advocate as they become more aware of what will be helpful to them. I also thought about this whole notion of the invisible disability because, oftentimes with other students who have a physical -- a very visible disability, of course, it's much easier, but for her I think she raised some very important points about, again, addressing her and seeing her as an individual.

Dr. Carolina Serna:
She was definitely advocating for herself, but I think that that's something that as professors we need to help students to be aware of, that they can advocate as they become more aware of what will be helpful to them. I also thought about this whole notion of the invisible disability because, often times with other students who have a physical — a very visible disability, of course, it's much easier, but for her I think she raised some very important points about, again, addressing her and seeing her as an individual.

Dr. Hank Reichman:
But, I thought this was so effective, this one, because it started with the very specifics of her as a deaf student — actually, not totally, I guess, but hearing-impaired, certainly, student and then, gradually almost surreptitiously, unfolded it out to things that were relevant to all students. You know, I mean, you get to... it's true, all students would benefit if we all had seminars all the time sitting in a circle, you know, not just deaf students. And I thought that that was very good quite the opposite of the other one where it started with the general and you never found the particular. You got from this young woman's story outward — something that was a broader application not only to all hearing-impaired or even all disabled students but all students.