Hearing loss and getting/keeping a job.

eirlys

eirlys

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I'm sure this has been covered, but maybe I'm not searching with the right terms.

I've had bad experiences with jobs and my hearing loss. I can't understand speech over office noise (printers, people chatting, etc). I've never had an employer willing to accommodate. At the time it was very easy. If you put my "good" hearing side to a wall, I could catch most of what was being said by the person standing in front of me. No employer was willing to believe that I had hearing loss. Possibly because I've spent so many years being forced to get by in a hearing world and I'm decent at faking it. Now I've moved across the country and I'm looking for work and after 6 years of intense frustration and customers thinking that I'm not paying attention because they have to keep repeating themselves (and reporting me to my supervisors)... I'm scared of being being in that situation again. Very scared.

What I wonder though, is this. Do you address the hearing issue at all? If so, when? If you do tell them about it, will it affect your chances of being hired? What does reasonable accommodation entail exactly?

I guess I'm just wanting to know what my rights are and what to expect. Now that I have hearing aids.. I do honestly hear better, but my audiologist was very right when he said that the speech recognition part of my brain (especially on my right side) has been dormant for 31 years and needs time to start working again. I still don't process things correctly.
 
There are 4 guys in my office with hearing issues. One is the obvious deaf guy (me), two are deaf in one ear, and the last one has some unusual hearing loss.

Most employees know that I am "the deaf guy" and they have to look at me while talking. They never complain about my not hearing or understanding them, as I make sure everyone knows how to talk to me. (Yes, we have some idiots that still don't get it).

The one guy that has hearing issues REFUSES to acknowledge that he is hard of hearing, and will NOT tell people to look at him. Everyone is getting frustrated with him since he is not hearing them, and he is not making any effort to educate anyone on how best to communicate with him. I've tried reasoning with him on this, but he is stubborn and proud. Even his audiologist recommended a hearing aid, but his excuse is that he does not want to hear more.

So, my advice is for you to get your co-workers to change how they talk to you. Once they get used to it, it should be automatic for them to know how to talk with you.

Since you work with customers, that makes it harder....you might have to find a way to inform your customers that you are deaf...it should make a difference as it does for me...when I announce that I am deaf and need to read lips, I get the usual "I'm so SORRY", then communication ensues after that...
 
green427 said:
There are 4 guys in my office with hearing issues. One is the obvious deaf guy (me), two are deaf in one ear, and the last one has some unusual hearing loss.

Most employees know that I am "the deaf guy" and they have to look at me while talking. They never complain about my not hearing or understanding them, as I make sure everyone knows how to talk to me. (Yes, we have some idiots that still don't get it).

The one guy that has hearing issues REFUSES to acknowledge that he is hard of hearing, and will NOT tell people to look at him. Everyone is getting frustrated with him since he is not hearing them, and he is not making any effort to educate anyone on how best to communicate with him. I've tried reasoning with him on this, but he is stubborn and proud. Even his audiologist recommended a hearing aid, but his excuse is that he does not want to hear more.

So, my advice is for you to get your co-workers to change how they talk to you. Once they get used to it, it should be automatic for them to know how to talk with you.

Since you work with customers, that makes it harder....you might have to find a way to inform your customers that you are deaf...it should make a difference as it does for me...when I announce that I am deaf and need to read lips, I get the usual "I'm so SORRY", then communication ensues after that...
Click to expand...

I agree. I think that the issue of your hearing needs to be addressed. I think you should speak with your manager, and inform them of your hearing loss. I would also document it and any conversation that follows, just in case they do try to fire you as a result. Though I have never had a job that pays anything, I would personally address the issue from the beginning. You do not want to start of a relationship in a dishonest way. If they do not accommodate you, and you live in the USA, then it is against ADA. This is why keeping records of conversations is important.
 
I don't know- not being deaf, and not having to work outside the home so I haven't had to look for a job in a long time. But socially, my son-in-law (nearly totally deaf in one ear), doesn't like to tell people he can't hear them. He just asks them to repeat themselves a lot, or he controls the conversation so he doesn't have to worry about it- it helps that he is incredibly funny and interesting.

BUT- he gives people the impression that he just doesn't bother to listen to them. I watch, and I see people's attitudes towards him *improve* when they know he can't hear them, it's not that he just blows them off because he doesn't care.
 
from my personal experience it's depressing working period as a Deaf person. You're never promoted, looked over just about as far as moving up the ladder.

Been at my place for 12 years and I'm still in the same POS position I was in when I started. Training has been refused and I feel personally it's because of ignorance but my bills need to get paid so sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with it just to live ya know? I don't have a choice to look for another job. I make good pay since I've been there long enough but damn, I wish they'd look past the hearing aids to see...
ack! no ranting, I promised I wouldn't rant!

my advice: stay strong, stick with a job if you even find one you hate-if you need money do what you have to do. I loved mine at first but have grown to loathe it. If you find a job you love but those you work for are assholes just do what I do and don't even let it get to you. Work is work, your personal life is that-personal. Keep the two seperate at all times and you will be ok. Sure, co-workers may not like you because you never talk to them ( my case ) but that's my choice because I know when I leave there I have a home to go to, a family that I care to expend energy on listening and speaking to. Why waste that energy on people who don't care about you?

I'm a busy bee kind of worker...I zip in and zip out and no one even notices that I'ver arrived or left. :)
 
What great advice. I appreciate it all very much.

I'm not at that job any longer. I've been searching since January. My hearing has been an issue at one interview that I know of.

I think I just need to keep searching and stay strong. Also, finishing college wouldn't hurt either. If I have a skill that's in demand, it will be harder to say no I think.

With the other job, my hearing was pretty much blown off. I would explain the situation and they'd just give me a distracted reply to deny moving me. Really not a good place. Small town government. I printed out paperwork showing them where they have to provide reasonable accommodation via the ada and the only thing that happened was that I got called into HR and asked "what my problem was" and did I realize that complaining about a hostile work environment was a serious offense.

Water under the bridge since I'm gone.
 
Wirelessly posted

I know people have selected others over me based on my hearing loss. Just truly can not prove it. But I kept searching and finally got hired. :).
 
Why not start your own company then you won't have to worry about...because I am deaf, I cannot be promoted. Because I am deaf, I cannot get my feet wet. Forget those. Let those who are not deaf get the job. You're better off starting your own company.
 
That seems like a good idea. I'm going to school in the fall. I'm still stuck between software engineering and database administration. I love coding and I love SQL.

Maybe when I finish.. and somewhere in the process of.. I can come up with a good idea on how to make that into my OWN business instead of working for someone.
 
What about even TRYING to get into the job market? The BIGGEST problem with trying to get into the job market is applying for a job, and then being turned down by some dumbassed middle manager who thinks you're mentally handicaped b/c of your deaf voice.
 
I remember being interviewed for a job as a medical assistant and she flat out told me that I would not be a godod candidate because I am deaf. Besides at the time I had a self employment job that gave me more freedom. I just wanted to use mt brains instead of housecleaning labors. I didm't realize though that she discriminated me. HUH
!
 
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