Scenarios for Discussion

1. Scenarios for Discussion Chapter 4.2.6

2. Scenario One Mike is deaf-blind. Mary is his SSP. They work together once every two weeks and sometimes communicate in between assignments using e-mail. Sometimes this is relevant to their work; for example, Mike gives Mary a preview of what he wants to do during their next assignment. Other times he simply sends a chatty e-mail or forwards something interesting he has gotten himself.

3. Scenario One (cont.) Lately, Mike has begun emailing Mary more and more often. Mary has been responding about once a week, regardless of how often Mike e-mails her.

4. Discussion Questions • What do you think is Mike’s motivation in emailing more and more often? Why do you think so? • What do you think Mary is feeling? Why? • What do you think will happen from here? • How would you characterize this interaction? Is Mary being passive-aggressive or is she simply being indirect?

5. More Discussion Questions • What, if any, are some deeper, underlying issues?

6. Scenario Two Claire is deaf-blind. Carla is her SSP. They are scheduled to work together once every two weeks. Claire is elderly and is often ill. Because of this, their schedule is often disrupted. Carla has reported this by e-mail to the SSP coordinator who replies by asking Carla if this is all right or if this is a problem.

7. Scenario Two (cont.) Carla has mixed feelings; she recognizes that Claire cannot control when she becomes ill, but she is annoyed that her own schedule is disrupted by it. She talks with Patty, who is also an SSP (but not with Claire), and asks Patty what she should do. It has been two weeks, and Carla has not replied to the coordinator. The situation has not changed.

8. Discussion Questions • What should Carla do? Why? • What is the problem – or what are the problems? • Who owns these problems? • What is Carla really asking Patty? • What, if any, are some deeper, underlying issues?

9. Scenario Three Jason is deaf-blind, and Judy is his SSP. Jason is losing his hearing, and while he can still hear enough to carry on one-to-one conversations in quiet places, he cannot follow a group conversation, and he cannot hear in a noisy environment. Judy has been his SSP for four months now, and she isconcerned that he misses so much.

10. Scenario Three (cont.) She thinks that Jason’s knowing sign language would be very useful to him. Judy talks to him during one of their assignments and tells him how much he would benefit from learning Sign Language. Jason does not respond. He continues to focus on the task of shopping for groceries, but he is more quiet than usual.

11. Discussion Questions • What do we know about Judy’s motives? • What kind of relationship do Judy and Jason have? • How would you characterize Judy’s comments? Why? • How is Jason feeling? Why do you think that? • How would you characterize Jason’s response? Why?

12. Scenario Four Bill is deaf-blind and Bonnie, who is sighted, is not his SSP, but she often helps him by giving him rides or giving him visual information when they are together at different community events. Bill is beginning to ask Bonnie for help more and more often. Bonnie likes Bill and does not mind being helpful (indeed, she enjoys it), but it is becoming a bit too much.

13. Scenario Four (cont.) Bonnie tells Bill she notices he has been asking her to help out more often and that it is becoming a bit too much for her. She suggests an amount of time that feels comfortable to her, such as two or threetimes a month, and then they can do whatever he wants, whatever seems priority to him.

14. Scenario Four (cont.) Bill says okay, and he begins to keep track of how often he asks for help from Bonnie. Once in a while he starts to ask Jeremy for help, too.

15. Discussion Questions • How would you characterize Bonnie’s comments? • What do you think is her motivation? Why? • What do you think might have happened after Bill started asking Jeremy for help, too? Why?

16. Scenario Five Bob is deaf-blind, and Bruce is his SSP. They work together once a week. Given that Bruce’s schedule is very flexible and that he likes Bob’s company, Bruce does not mind that they go over their allotted time once in a while without being concerned about money. Bruce does not bill for this overtime.

17. Scenario Five (cont.) Bruce often tells Bob news of the community while they are working together, and he also often complains about other SSPs. He has noticed that many are new and not really very good signers. He says sometimes they are late or take breaks for a cigarette. It bothers Bruce that they are not skilled and professional, and don’t seem to care enough about their work.

18. Discussion Questions • How would you characterize Bruce’s comments? • What do you think is his motivation? Why? • How do you think Bob responds to Bruce’s comments? Why do you think that? • How would you characterize Bruce and Bob’s relationship?

19. More Discussion • What, if any, are some deeper, underlying issues?

20. Scenario Six Ann is deaf and has tunnel vision. She is married to a deaf man and does not use an SSP regularly but she is beginning to think it might be a good idea sometimes. She asks her friend Sue, also deaf, if she would SSP for her sometimes and Sue says sure. Not long after that, there is a “Mother’s Club” lunch at a mutual friend’s house, and Ann asks Sue to SSP for her. Again, Sue says sure.

21. Scenario Six (cont.) However, when they get to the lunch, Sue becomes just another guest and spends her time chatting with the other deaf women. Ann is grateful for the ride but is disappointed that Sue left her on her own once they got to the party.

22. Discussion Questions • What do you think is going on here? • What are the issues? • What would you tell Ann? Sue? Why? • What, if any, are some deeper, underlying issues?

23. Scenario Seven Kevin and Gail are friends. They are both hard-of-hearing and going blind from Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and know it will just get worse. They are both married to other people and finding themselves more and more dependent on their spouses for things they can no longer do. They don’t like it and feel it might affect their marriages.

24. Scenario Seven (cont.) Kevin and Gail discuss this problem and ask another friend Margaret for help. Margaret is an interpreter who has volunteered for the AADB in the past. Margaret explains about SSP services in other states, but there are none where they live.

25. Discussion • What should Margaret do? • What other questions should we ask?

26. Your Scenarios • Think of situations you would like to discuss.