hoh and job problem

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tonedef

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after a year of health related un-employment i started a new career as a vet tech. i didn't know how bad my hearing was until i realized that i was asking my new boss and co-workers to repeat themselves after almost every sentence. i think- really i know- that they're getting fed up with me. i explained to them that i had a hearing problem but it doesn't seem to matter to them. i've gotten the very strong impression that if i don't get a hearing aid soon i won't have this job much longer. is this common for those of us who are hoh?

thanks,
tonedef
 
tonedef said:
after a year of health related un-employment i started a new career as a vet tech. i didn't know how bad my hearing was until i realized that i was asking my new boss and co-workers to repeat themselves after almost every sentence. i think- really i know- that they're getting fed up with me. i explained to them that i had a hearing problem but it doesn't seem to matter to them. i've gotten the very strong impression that if i don't get a hearing aid soon i won't have this job much longer. is this common for those of us who are hoh?

thanks,
tonedef
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Yes. But when you are familiar with the job. You won't need to talk as you will know what to do.
 
Unfortunately, it is quite common. May I ask, are you using HAs? How many employees are there at this vet's office?
I can suggest actions to take for you, but need to have this information first.
 
tell em you have selective hearing. heh, hope u get this resolved.
exploring different technologies in HAs is a good idea.. start with your audiologist?
 
Hey! I know how you feel. I was Surgical Veterinary Technician for a few years. I wear my hearing aids.

If your deafness is pretty bad, I suggest you to get hearing aids. Have a pad readily available if you can't understand someone, you can ask them to write it down. Just a couple words here and there, and soon you'll pick up the lingo.

Many of the stuff around veterinary hospital relies on "hearing" due to animals can't speak (duh) and lots of beeping here and there with IV Pumps, anesthesia machines, BP, Pulse Ox, etc.

At first, I did have problems with people not understanding that just because I wear hearing aids and speak well doesn't mean I understand them very well (they put me in SURGERY!), overtime they learned a little sign for different instruments. So we worked together well.
 
That has been the story of almost every job I've had since 2005, when I lost my hearing in my right ear. I'm so disgusted with a majority of the human race, that people can be so inconsiderate and just ignorant about hearing loss. I have a college education and I'm not stupid. I used to do accounting/payroll/office work. But I've been working in factories because you typically don't need to rely on your hearing so much. But man, I've been treated like absolute shit. It's been the most humiliating experience of my life. :mad:

I wish I could give you some advice but I still haven't figured out how to handle it. Just letting you know that you're not alone.
 
Sunryze said:
That has been the story of almost every job I've had since 2005, when I lost my hearing in my right ear. I'm so disgusted with a majority of the human race, that people can be so inconsiderate
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Welcome to the deaf world...we deal with it everyday. Funny because if hearing people can shut off their ears for ONE day, it will change their perspective on things. Sucks that we can't do that.

That's where Educating the "hearies" comes in. Even at this day and age where it is KNOWN that there's deaf people all over the world, there's still many many hearing people that never met one deaf person and never learned how to deal with it.

Sucks..i know.
 
Sunryze said:
That has been the story of almost every job I've had since 2005, when I lost my hearing in my right ear. I'm so disgusted with a majority of the human race, that people can be so inconsiderate and just ignorant about hearing loss. I have a college education and I'm not stupid. I used to do accounting/payroll/office work. But I've been working in factories because you typically don't need to rely on your hearing so much. But man, I've been treated like absolute shit. It's been the most humiliating experience of my life. :mad:

I wish I could give you some advice but I still haven't figured out how to handle it. Just letting you know that you're not alone.
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I have been doing it for 51 years. You may have a lot worse experiences before your die.

It is easier by far for you than most of us. Because you already learned speech and much more as a hearing person. 3 years is tiny experience of bad.
 
Bottesini said:
I have been doing it for 51 years. You may have a lot worse experiences before your die.

It is easier by far for you than most of us. Because you already learned speech and much more as a hearing person. 3 years is tiny experience of bad.
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I agree to a point and have given that some thought. I've been HOH for 22 years. No, I wasn't born that way but it's gotten much worse thru the years. I had surgery in 2004 which restored my hearing for only 1 year, by 2005 the right ear was gone and left ear severe again.

The bad part about losing your hearing when your older is because you haven't learned to deal with it by learning ASL and lip reading. I've never had that option.
It's like being stuck between 2 worlds - not part of the hearing world, but not part of the deaf community either.
Another thing is because I don't speak with a deaf accent, people forget that I'm HOH, which makes things difficult because I have to constantly remind them. A lot of times they think I'm not paying attention or that I can't comprehend. Which is extremely frustrating as you know.
 
Sunryze said:
I agree to a point and have given that some thought. I've been HOH for 22 years. No, I wasn't born that way but it's gotten much worse thru the years. I had surgery in 2004 which restored my hearing for only 1 year, by 2005 the right ear was gone and left ear severe again.

The bad part about losing your hearing when your older is because you haven't learned to deal with it by learning ASL and lip reading. I've never had that option.
It's like being stuck between 2 worlds - not part of the hearing world, but not part of the deaf community either.
Another thing is because I don't speak with a deaf accent, people forget that I'm HOH, which makes things difficult because I have to constantly remind them. A lot of times they think I'm not paying attention or that I can't comprehend. Which is extremely frustrating as you know.
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Sorry, I thought only 3 years total for all.
 
jillio said:
Unfortunately, it is quite common. May I ask, are you using HAs? How many employees are there at this vet's office?
I can suggest actions to take for you, but need to have this information first.
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i'm waiting for an appointment with texas dept of vocational rehab to see if i qualify for financial aid with ha's. i just started back to work after a year of unemployment due to health issues, so i can't afford them on my own right now. it's a small vet clinic with only 4 employees and the dr.

thanks:)
 
I lost my hearing in March of this year, and I have dealt with the Ohio Vocational Rehab for help with my HAs - Just some advice, be persistent. Call them at least twice a week if they don't get back with you right away, also have your employer write them a letter telling you that you may lose your job over this, and they will verify that and move things along a little faster. It took 3 months of dealing with 2 different counselors before I got my HAs. Just make sure that you keep all your appointments and do everything they require of you.
 
That is how my job is. It is VERY loud where I work because of all the machines. We have to yell at each other to communicate but sometimes my co-workers will treat me like total dog shi* and cuss me out because it can be hard to talk to me. Afterwards though, like a few hours later they will come and mess with me by grabbing me and giving me a noogie and treat me like they like me. It can be very stressful but hang in there, get better at what you do and you will not have to rely on others. Also, you can talk to your boss or supervisor and ask if your hearing complications will affect you keeping your job. This is what I did with my supervisors and they said that I wasn't going anywhere unless I quit or became lazy so I didn't have anything to worry about.
 
However much we want to cuss and curse the "hearies" for their insensitivity to our difficulties, you have at least been honest enough to recognise that you need HA's. It is in some ways, unreasonable to expect people with normal hearing, to remember and adjust their normal way of speaking to someone who is HOH.....and if you don't at least make the effort to help yourself by wearing them, then they are going to get pretty p*ssed off quite quickly.

It is incumbent on you to make every effort to give yourself the best chance of hearing as it is for them to deal with your difficulty in a reasonably sympathetic manner.

After all, the problem in the first place is yours, not theirs. They have given you the job because they think ou can do it...and they think that they can deal with the problems that come with having HOH staff....

One solution though.....work for yourself..I do...when my staff wanta pay rise.....it's surprising how much worse my hearing becomes!!!:lol:
 
tonedef said:
i'm waiting for an appointment with texas dept of vocational rehab to see if i qualify for financial aid with ha's. i just started back to work after a year of unemployment due to health issues, so i can't afford them on my own right now. it's a small vet clinic with only 4 employees and the dr.

thanks:)
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Consulting BVR for assisstance with aids is an excellent idea. Also, you might try the Lion's Club, if BVR isn't able to help you.

Unfortunately, to be obligated to follow the ADA, a place of employment must have 15 or more employees. Smaller employers are exempt. But the good news is a smaller employer often easier to work with regarding accommodations. If he is willing to work with you while you are trying to get your aids, it would be an advantage for him, because he would't have to train a new employee. Have you spoken with him about what you need?
 
I wear my HAs everyday at work. I still have to ask my co workers to repeat themselves occasionally. They do get frustrated at times then I would say to them if it isn't worth repeating then it must not be important. But I am lucky that my boss is quite understanding she even supply me with coupons for batteries that she find online.

For hoh people, it is important to wear our HAs when we are working. Makes it easier on your self.
 
Chalgravesteve said:
However much we want to cuss and curse the "hearies" for their insensitivity to our difficulties, you have at least been honest enough to recognise that you need HA's. It is in some ways, unreasonable to expect people with normal hearing, to remember and adjust their normal way of speaking to someone who is HOH.....and if you don't at least make the effort to help yourself by wearing them, then they are going to get pretty p*ssed off quite quickly.

It is incumbent on you to make every effort to give yourself the best chance of hearing as it is for them to deal with your difficulty in a reasonably sympathetic manner.

After all, the problem in the first place is yours, not theirs. They have given you the job because they think ou can do it...and they think that they can deal with the problems that come with having HOH staff....

One solution though.....work for yourself..I do...when my staff wanta pay rise.....it's surprising how much worse my hearing becomes!!!:lol:
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I don't know who you are but you sure as hell remind me of an asshole I knew once. I can't believe you posted this. OMG.
 
NEWIDME said:
I don't know who you are but you sure as hell remind me of an asshole I knew once. I can't believe you posted this. OMG.
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I don't think he meant any harm NEWIDME. I think he is a person who is a little hard of hearing and does not really understand what he is saying.

Otherwise I would enthusiastically agree with your sentiment.

Oh heck, I will agree anyway!!!

Go NEWIDME!!!:thumb:

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Born profoundly deaf since birth here and never had any problems finding different kinds of jobs in the 21 years since I started working. My only problem was not being taken seriously in meetings when I came up with ideas for problem solving or people not initiating conversations with me. However, my deafness has never prevented me from doing all the jobs I did. I would apply for anything..I applied at a Construction Company for a administrative assistant and got the job despite the job saying it required some phone work. I asked my boss why did they change the duties and she said that they were so impressed with how I did at the interviews. I guess I become really cocky during those interviews cuz I know I am smart, very organized, learn fast, dedicated and so forth so I am cocky about those skills at the interviews. :giggle:
 
Why is there a problem??? If you want to exist and operate in the "normal" world, you cannot expect everyone to make special arrangements and have special consideration for you, particularly when you are not making the best efforts you can to mitigate the problem yourself.

They didn't have to employ the HOH person, they could have saved themselves a whole bag of problems by not doing so....so anyone who DOES employ ANYONE with any form of disability knows and accepts that there will be more work required at times from themselves and the rest of their staff to ensure that the job can be done properly....

but I don't see why anyone who has any form of disability should just expect everyone else to make all the allowances and excuses for them, BECAUSE they have a disability.

I employ someone who has "learning difficulties". It takes him ages to do something new in the routine...and he drives us mad sometimes when you have told him/shown him for the umpteenth time....but we also know that sooner or later it WILL click in and he will be ok after that.

At the end of the day, it applies to all aspect of, in our case, deafness. If you want to exist wholly and soley within the deaf community, whether HOH or profoundly/totally deaf, then thats up to you. If you want to embrace both hearing and non hearing culture then it is as much your responsibility to make the effort as it is for the hearing community to be sympathetic to your difficulties......and both communities will have people whose tolerance levels of the other "side" is less than it might be!
 
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