Using telephones for t-cons at work. How well do you do?

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designgeek

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Hi, I'm curious about fellow deaf / hard of hearing people who work in busy companies where telephone conference are a way of regular business?

I'm on the phone regularly about 2 hours every day, sometimes all day long. I work in a global company where my department is spread around the world. I have a specially adapted bi-aural 'T' setting headset and after 2 hours me ears and the bones behind my ears are killing me!

If any of you deal with a similar scenario using telephones as a regular part of your job and team meetings can you let me know how you deal and cope with it?

Sometimes I do fine if the group is small, however most of my meetings involve more than 5 people and trying to keep up is a real struggle. My colleagues really do try to understand, but then criticise me by saying 'I'm really concerned that when it came to the crunch you didn't pick up on #####'.

Thanks.

Ms. Frustrated.
 
I've never heard of conference captioning. I just wish that the company I work for would install if not something like this, at least something that can help me identify who it is that is talking at what point. ie. a speaker starts talking and in the list of active people on call their name becomes bold or something. Even just that would help a lot. At least I'd know that there is a change of person in the arguement ensuing on the t-conference!!

Thanks. I'll look into this.

I just want to hear about other peoples experience being HOH and using phones a lot during the day. So please feel free to share your stories people!
 
designgeek said:
I just want to hear about other peoples experience being HOH and using phones a lot during the day. So please feel free to share your stories people!
Click to expand...

I don't use phone a lot at work (Boss and coworkers know I don't like it) but when I have no choice I press the receiver up against my ear to try and make a good seal and do my best to plug my other ear up. Needless to say the phone's volume is at max... I will tell (read: yell at) coworkers to be quiet or to take conversations to one of the break-out rooms designed for it.

I do OK but the last call I had on Friday to discuss a MAJOR problem with a client's site was mostly guesswork on what the man was saying. I knew what the problem was and what he would say anyways (I knew context, the problem, the source of the problem and the two potential fixes. What I didn't get 100% was the consequence of one of the fixes).

Sometimes I do conference call to people in America (I work in Leeds and am American by birth - I know the accents in Northern England and USA!) and if anyone else on the call is making noise it's really hard to hear. This specific client set up a bloody chat room for us to use too! I don't get why they would use voice...

My boss knows about my hearing loss and has said they would try to limit my phone use and to promote use of email and instant messaging for intraoffice communication. (Which almost no one uses. I might send an email around...)

I find that asking for things to be repeated or summarised in email helps. Most people are good with it but others don't care.

Hope it helps...
 
doh said:
I don't use phone a lot at work (Boss and coworkers know I don't like it) but when I have no choice I press the receiver up against my ear to try and make a good seal and do my best to plug my other ear up. Needless to say the phone's volume is at max... I will tell (read: yell at) coworkers to be quiet or to take conversations to one of the break-out rooms designed for it.
Click to expand...

You should try a headset that has in-the-ear ear pieces and provides sound to both ears. I've read it's easier to understand speech when you hear it with both ears, (though I can't say from experience because I've been completely deaf on one side for about 10 years)
I know what you mean by pressing the receiver against your ear, it can help a little but something that fits in your ear will work even better, but will be a bit less comfortable.

Edit:
Under-the-Chin Binaural Headset
That's what I'm thinking of, keep in mind that this one's not the only one like it in existance, just the only one that harris comm. has on thier website currently. I suggest talking to VocRehab (or other agency depending on where you live) and getting one.
 
designgeek - i am in a similar situation right now! i just joined a leading investment bank in chicago about a month back, and my job requires me to make/receive calls whenever necessary. Though email and IM are the main primary ways to communicate, a telephone is still necessary. Company is trying to get a blackberry for me, but thats not going to replace telephone calls in anyway.

I have been stuck up in this difficult situation for some time now, been trying VCO, TTY and now I after my company to look at the CAPTEL telephone.I guess because of the company-wide extensive telecom network (people call each other with extensions and not full phone numbers) it is more difficult to reach out to people at work when using a TTY/VCO.

One device I resolved for meetings and conferences - it is a personal FM system from Phonak called the Smart Link SX. It is very good and useful - I would definitely recommend it. And if you have a hearing loss (mild,severe) you might as well connect this FM to a bluetooth cellphone to talk. Too bad, I have a profound loss and I cannot even understand conversations over the cellphone.

Can anyone advise me what is the best accommodation for a work environment? Thanks...
 
I used to work for the DOD Police and having to answer a call is my worst nightmare but survive thru it. The company provided the amphifer on the phone just for me and it works for me most of the times. The pain in the butt would be taken my hearing aid out to answer the call. But then my hearing aid was in need of repair cuz I had to turn on and off all day for a long time.

I dont really like to answer a call but that was my part of the job. I tried to find a job where there is no involved with a phone call.
 
farmerjoe said:
You should try a headset that has in-the-ear ear pieces and provides sound to both ears. I've read it's easier to understand speech when you hear it with both ears, (though I can't say from experience because I've been completely deaf on one side for about 10 years)
I know what you mean by pressing the receiver against your ear, it can help a little but something that fits in your ear will work even better, but will be a bit less comfortable.

Edit:
Under-the-Chin Binaural Headset
That's what I'm thinking of, keep in mind that this one's not the only one like it in existance, just the only one that harris comm. has on thier website currently. I suggest talking to VocRehab (or other agency depending on where you live) and getting one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions! :) I'll check it out.
 
doh said:
Thanks for the suggestions! :) I'll check it out.
Click to expand...

Oh dear. Yes will be investigating sooner rather than later! I had a conference call today and it was mostly guesswork and knowing the context beforehand!:eek2:
 
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