Drastic differences between Colorado and Maryland

When it comes to human services, vocational rehabilitation, and social worker working with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, there is a very wide abyss between the folks seeking help and the agencies in Colorado. I had observed clients being able to attend night classes for developing independent skills and skills toward working in Maryland. I had been able to help find resources for the deaf clients as many agencies were able to assist them, in cases of finding a job, finding housing, getting finance aid for school, preparing them for working, having counseling, improving family values, and helping them develop self esteem in themselves in Maryland as many helping professionals had. If any problem there may be in Maryland agencies, that would be not sufficient beds for clients who need a place to live once they are ready to leave the hospital for the real world, but at least they have five agencies compared to other states. NOW... If it is Colorado. This S-U-C-K-S. I had gone to a VR state plan meeting tonight, and a lot of deaf folks were there to complain about their treatment from VR counselors, for one.. "They won't get an interpreter, so the VR and I couldn't' talk with each other." "VR discouraged me from my goal of working as a chef for a good restaurant; and told me to find a job at McDonald's. He didn't care that I had gone to college for culinary training!" "I asked for help with finding a job, and the VR assured me that he would call me in two weeks. I waited a month, two months, six months, he never called me back!" "I felt like a child led by hand when the VR counselor would do all this paperwork and just tell me to sign this, and that, but never explain what the paperwork was for." "VR never tells me what services they can do for me, and I always find from other deaf of what VR had done for them, and I felt I was disrespected by the VR counselor." Darlings.... It's not VR counselors only. I have also heard from deaf community around Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, and Littleton, that doctors resist getting an interpreter for appointments, insisting on writing for communication; there are no programs for deaf to attend night classes for English as second-language, independent skills, or skills for a goal of getting a job, and heck, I hadn't EVEN encountered in six months here in Colorado, a real-to-life counselor that could say that he/she is working in a residential house working with deaf individuals with either developmental disorders, or mental illnesses; what are the chances that there are even deaf individuals with either disabilities or illnesses getting assistance and not getting them??!! Several folks that are involved in human services, legal aid, commission for deaf, or so had admitted to me (person to person), that Colorado is very poor in meeting deaf people's needs when it comes to human services, VR, or SS. Gods know that a friend had cried on my shoulder when she told me that her own social worker refused to get an interpreter for every time they had an appointment, thus there were several miscommunication. I feel very outraged, no... ANGRY.. For the people here. Where is the respect? Where is the communication that was claimed for everyone who seeks help? They say ADA would help, but Colorado is a backward state. Gods know that at a job I had, I had seen co-workers making fun of a co-worker with CP, and a deaf co-worker. I had seen the supervisor yelling at the deaf co-worker of how he was tired of explaining to her and tired of her taking out notebook and a pen for commnication, despite that the poor employee had no idea what he was yelling about! I was so furious. I encouraged her to report to the supervisor's supervisor, with encouragement from me, and he assured her that he will find out what was going on. Guess what? In an half hour later, the supervisor told the co-worker that he wanted to talk with her, and she was very frightened. He told her that she misunderstood his behavior and that she should not make assumations! I couldn't believe it! With a bad taste in my mouth, I quit that job. Colorado may be beautiful in nature, fun in activities, but when it comes to deaf, man... way, way, way below discrimination! You know that in Maryland, one can find a job within three-six months, but in Colorado, it'd take even FIVE years for a deaf person to find a job! One had said he hadn't success finding a job for sixteen years. Sixteen years! How ridiculous can that be??!! I'm afraid to see what will happen in two years once I complete my degree in Human Services here in Colorado. They say "it will get better," I don't think so. I hadn't seen much of improvement in twenty years from SS, VR or Human services when it come to services for deaf people. And you all complain about being mistreated by people around you, "I can't find a job that I like" "I would rather find a good apartment." "I can see my doctor tomorrow, no problem." Now, look at deaf people here in Colorado, and possibly other western states of how much they have experienced and they still fight for their rights, and how would you think they feel, seeing other folks getting jobs, being successful, getting assistance from either state or federal services, *finger snaps* that fast? I would say fucking three words to you.... "You..cannot imagine."