Tag Archives: hearing

Deaf workers

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Many of us who are deaf and hard of hearing workers got the short term years of their experience job history.   I looked back in old times of years, I have met deaf who has good retired from their work.   This year, we not get any good or best retirement plan…reason economy poor and discrimination of deafness.  Why I did say discrimination of deafness is because of their communication and fear.

Communication is number one to understands.  Fear is second.  Many times, I heard they kept saying, “not know to deal with them.” and “can’t talk their language.”   Sign Language is like foreign language, Spanish or French.   Many people create the communication normal like always face with.    They have hire them for their motivation to work.   Not because they are deaf and cant speak their language.    Fear is everyone’s fear as always.  I know it is uncomfortable to meet anyone like that, but trust them as coworker.   Not just who they are.   They are alike normal human, race, religious, and gender.  

In old times, most of deaf jobs are like plumbing,  machinery,  and assembly.    Since my years in 70s to 2013 are different than I see in old times deaf workers does.   Deaf has degrees for Management, Doctor, Lawyer, and Businessman.   No one want them, they decide to work at retail stores or merchandise for part time.  Alot of them had SSDI (security social disability income) for their support and many time, they not like the idea because of their rejection of hiring on their experience history.    You know like hearing has Welfare for their support after laid off or no job. 

I have faced few interviews for the job and not find any that match my skills.  For example,  office duties, administrative support, and basically duty that no one wanted to hire me because of my deafness.    I worked in office for more than 20 years but some college credits with no degrees.   Hope that would help others and spread.

-DW

You deaf?

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Why I ask?  Many times, I was asked “you deaf?”  Yes, sure I am deaf.  Other time, unfortunately I also was asked “you hearing?”  Haha but true!  I born profiund deaf and had total communication before ASL comes out.   I used oral with sign language but NO voice at all.   The deaf people thought I am hearing.  They should know I uses the sign language, of course obvious I am deaf.   The hearing people knew I am deaf and whisper a lot so no one understand me.  Many times, I was asking to interpreted for them, I would be totally lost! 

Why I am write here?  Lot of people thought all hard of hearing are HEARING like them.   I would say, “no, not all.”  Because of their life as deaf in their growing up social with deaf people and they considered themselves deaf too.   Most of people who are hearing loss in late year, can be hard of hearing because they knew how sound like or use the regular phase in their life.   

Let’s say about cochlear implants users who has been deaf at born and still DEAF.  They not aware how sound like or use the regular phase in their life.  They had speech therapy to understand them.  The people who has hearing loss in late years, will quality have CI because they can hear again.  We, deaf adults not like the idea for deaf kids to have CI in earlier years (in born to teenagers years) because the kids would not have good life in the future.  I mean they can’t play in rough sports or careless accident happens in earlier years.   You know how kids careless accidents happens offen, right?  That is not good idea. 

I know few deaf adults who had kids who also deaf and put the CI.

We were told that adults who has CI when they were kids, “they are not happy with their life because they can’t play like any kids.”  They are very self-conscious.   So will you ask them, “you deaf?”   Yes with their face smiled.

– DW