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Seeking Advice on Studying Abroad as a Cochlear Implant User


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Hi everyone,

I used to be somewhat active in the group a couple of years ago. Since then, COVID and the economic downturn have been tough on my family. I was just a high school student back then, but now I’m excited to share that I graduated with good grades and am exploring the possibility of studying in the United States.

As a cochlear implant user (I have a Rondo 2 on one ear), I'm curious about the feasibility of studying abroad. My family is prepared to support me financially, but I'm new to this and have a lot of questions. I'm particularly interested in pursuing a degree in computer science and would love to know about the likelihood of finding part-time work to help cover some of my expenses given my hearing challenges.

I’m also seeking information on English proficiency tests and SAT requirements for students with hearing impairments. Are there scholarships available for people like us? Any advice, tips, or personal experiences would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks in advance for your support!

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@Nischal Koirala

check out NTID which is part of RIT in Rochester NY.  They have excellent support services for students with hearing loss and an international mix of students.

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1 hour ago, Mary Beth said:

@Nischal Koirala

check out NTID which is part of RIT in Rochester NY.  They have excellent support services for students with hearing loss and an international mix of students.

Sure! Will have a look . Thanks a lot!!!

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As a CI wearing engineering professor, it will be more challenging but there are accommodations in most universities required by federal law in the US.  Of course actual services provided and the environmental settings such as classrooms with good acoustics will vary widely.  They may be referred to as a disability resource center. 

RIT seems great.  We have an active user here that is a student there. I'll give him a heads up about your post. 

I wear my "retention clip and cord" very visibly on my Rondo 3.  I do this in part to try to help destigmatize this for students (and fellow faculty) that might not otherwise reach out to get the help that they need.  A bit of "if scary Dr. Tim is willing to acknowledge his CI, maybe I can go get the help that I need."

I'll send you a DM with info about my school but we aren't out of the ordinary about hearing loss accommodation other than an engineering department chair with a CI.  Many of the CS and engineering faculty know about me and my CI and I do occasionally raise the issue of ill-designed rooms with Deans and others at the university. 

As for "disability resource center" accommodations, each case and accommodation is individually assessed, you would likely be allowed a reserved front row seat for all classes, might qualify for getting recordings of classes even if they are not recorded otherwise, perhaps note taking assistance.  If you get approved (and I expect it would be), a message is then sent to each of your professors before a term starts about the required accommodations. I don't know enough about your situation but given my SSD, the front row seat would probably be enough for me for most situations.  maybe I would use a microphone for the instructor in certain tough situations.  In rare situations, there might be a change in the classroom. You should plan to "stand up for yourself."  Learning to be a good self advocate is a good skill.

By the way, CS isn't my department and I only teach graduate classes but I've supervised two CS student projects for hearing rehab apps.  One as a senior capstone and one as a google student club project.  We may merge them in some way and continue it in Fall with another team. 

I'll send you a DM in here with info on various things and an offer to do a zoom. 

Schools and departments tend to vary widely in their environment for international students.  A couple of other factors might the proportion of international students, whether they have an international student services office, and location of nearby airports. We had an unofficial rule that our kids could go anywhere they could get into and afford based on their scholarships and what not as long as there was a direct flight on at least one airline to home.  This was very helpful as Covid hit. 

You may also find the discord group, Cochlear Implant Community to be a good source of information - a higher proportion of software engineers and IT professionals.

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After thinking about your post, I'm tempted to reach out to my university's DRC to see about having a workshop for hearing disabled students at my university.

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Sorry, this became yet another of my long essays!  Hope it is helpful for someone. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Tim,

Thanks again for such an detailed and insightful message. Really appreciated that you took so much time relating experiences and advice. It's assuring to know that most accommodations, reserving a seat and recording the classes for instance, are legally required, and it's heartening to learn that self-advocacy is one important skill to practice. This I will definitely keep in mind while pursuing my plans.

It's really inspiring to see your example with an "out and proud retention clip and cord." And I can see how that may let students be more confident in seeking support that they may need. Reassuring, indeed, to know there are professors like you working on making these issues more visible.

RIT sounds like an excellent environment, and I certainly am appreciative of your outreach in my name to a student there. Equally, I will also definitely look into the Cochlear Implant Community on Discord, sound like it can be very effective at allowing connections with others in the same field.

I will greatly appreciate it if you could, at any convenient time for you, send me more details about your university. It really seems to have an effective support mechanism in place, and especially with your continued proactiveness in matters of accommodation.

Finally, it is really a very good idea that you should recommend a workshop for hearing-disabled students at your university. It will go a long way in possibly saving silent sufferers.

Many thanks again for all your help and for any further contact.

Best regards,
Nischal

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