Learning about Sign Language

People who become deaf sometimes hope that learning to use American Sign Language (ASL) will be the solution to their communication problems. Initially, they may not consider that learning another language is helpful only if the people with whom they want to communicate are willing to learn it too. And often they don’t realize that learning ASL is like learning any other foreign language—a big undertaking. Learning to fingerspell and learning some useful signs that can be used in English word order is a great idea, however. Couples (and other family members) can use signs and fingerspelling to communicate when they’re in public places, during the night when hearing aids aren’t being worn, or in emergency situations.

Learning to Monitor Your Voice Level

People with sensorineural hearing loss often have difficulty monitoring the volume of their voices. The tendency is to be too loud, but someone who’s been given that feedback might overcompensate and use a voice that’s too soft. A hearing rehabilitation program can address this problem by helping listeners sense when their voice level is inappropriate and teaching significant others to provide visual feedback (such as a subtle hand signal) in public.

SUPPORT/ADVOCACY GROUPS

One of the most effective strategies for coping with hearing loss is getting involved in a support/advocacy group. Participation in a local chapter of a national organization can be a source of information, comfort, and fun. Although there can be some overlap, this type of group differs from a local hearing rehabilitation group offered by an audiologist for a period of weeks or months (see earlier in this chapter). Support/advocacy groups are usually led by fellow group members who have lost some or all of their hearing, and the meetings are on-going. Involvement provides opportunities for exploring solutions to common problems, learning about new technologies, and benefiting from the wisdom of others. Perhaps most important, the depth of understanding and emotional support that people with hearing loss can give to one another is something that can’t be matched by professionals. If you’re struggling, meeting other people who are coping with similar problems can make you feel less alone. If you aren’t interested in attending meetings, Internet organizations provide opportunities to share and communicate on-line.

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA; formerly known as Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, or SHHH) is the nation’s largest advocacy organization for people with hearing loss. Founded in 1979, the organization’s goal is “to open the world of communication for people

with hearing loss through information, education, advocacy, and support.” Members include people with hearing loss, their families and friends, and interested professionals. The association has local chapters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. HLAA’s website and publications encourage independence and promote self-esteem. Members receive Hearing Loss, the nation’s only magazine for people who are hard of hearing. Hearing Loss features personal stories as well as articles addressing coping strategies, technological innovations, public policy, and advocacy efforts. Each summer, the organization hosts a convention that’s completely accessible through hearing technology and other accommodations. The 3-day meeting includes both educational presentations and social events. Manufacturers and vendors come together to create the country’s largest display of information, services, and assistive technology for consumers who are hard of hearing. The convention is an excellent opportunity to look at what’s new and ask questions of knowledgeable representatives.

Another support/advocacy organization, The Association of LateDeafened Adults (ALDA), was founded in 1987. For the most part, its members are adults who grew up hearing but are now unable to understand speech without visual aids such as speechreading, sign language, or captioning. The organization’s goal is to advocate for relevant legislation, rehabilitation programs, employment opportunities, and communication services. The organization also provides personal support to late-deafened adults as they adjust to becoming deaf. Networking opportunities are offered through local chapters and an annual conference. The association publishes a quarterly newsletter “that blends humor and sensitivity along with first-hand accounts of the frequent absurdities of deafened life.”

THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights legislation designed to protect persons with disabilities from discrimination. Basically, it says that no person may be denied “full and equal enjoyment” of the goods, services, and facilities that are available to nondisabled people. It follows in the tradition of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender. However, the ADA does more than other antidiscrimination legislation by incorporating a principle known as reasonable accommodation. This principle requires that employers, government entities, and facilities open to the public provide accommodations that give persons with disabilities access to the people, places, and things that they wish to pursue. The most familiar accommodation required by the ADA is the wheelchair ramp.

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, access means communication access. For example, Title II (or Section II) of the ADA requires

that all services and facilities offered by state and local governments be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes (but is not limited to) police and fire departments, public schools, libraries, public transportation systems, motor vehicle departments, public hospitals, civic arenas, public parks and recreation programs, public swimming pools, municipal golf courses, social service agencies, courtrooms, and jails. Government agencies and facilities may be required to provide accommodations such as visual safety alarms, amplified telephones, text telephones, or assistive listening devices.

Title III of the ADA ensures communication access in places that are not owned or operated by the government but that are open to the public (except when providing accommodations would impose an undue burden). Such places include (but are not limited to) restaurants, theatres, stores, hotels, motels, laundries, hair salons, day-care centers, medical offices, museums, banks, pharmacies, professional offices, private hospitals, private schools, concert halls, sports facilities, stadiums, and privately owned transportation systems. For example, on request, hotels must provide reasonable accommodations such as visual/tactile alerting devices, television captioning, and amplified or text telephones. Religious institutions and private clubs are exempt from ADA requirements.

Title IV of the ADA requires all telephone companies to provide local and long-distance relay services. A telecommunications relay service allows a deaf person using a text telephone (TTY) to dial 711 and reach a communications assistant (CA). The CA receives the TTY user’s typed message and relays it (by voice) to someone without a text telephone. The CA then converts the other party’s voice response into text for the TTY user, and the conversation proceeds. The relay service must allow text telephone users to communicate with people anywhere in the United States at any time. Relay users cannot be charged more than a voice user would be charged for the same call, and no restrictions can be placed on the length of the call or the nature of the conversation. Relay services are described in greater detail in Chapter 9.

ADA in the Workplace

Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against otherwise qualified persons in areas such as job application procedures, hiring, firing, compensation, job training, and advancement. The law does not require employers to give special consideration to such applicants during the hiring process, however; successful applicants must be fully qualified in terms of education, experience, skills, and credentials. If a person is qualified, an employer (with 15 or more employees) must provide reasonable accommodations that enable the applicant or employee to perform the essential functions of his job, and this may include job restructuring. For example, the law would not require an employer to hire a deaf

person as a telephone receptionist; however, if answering the phone is a small part of that person’s job, the duty could be assigned to someone else. Other accommodations could range from simply making an employee’s work area quieter to purchasing equipment such as an amplified telephone, text telephone, vibrating pager, personal FM system, or visual alarm that lets a worker know when a machine is malfunctioning. The employer determines whether an accommodation is “reasonable” on a case-by-case basis.

The law requires the employer to bear the cost of accommodations. In general, accommodating people with hearing loss is less expensive than accommodating people with other types of disabilities. Often, minimal accommodations (for example, providing important information in writing) can enable competent workers who lose their hearing to continue doing their jobs. Rather than hiring someone new, accommodating a proven employee who requires no job training can actually be a bargain for an employer.

It’s the employee’s responsibility to request accommodations in the workplace. This means acknowledging the hearing loss, understanding the difficulties that it creates, and knowing enough to be able to suggest possible solutions. Here is the perfect opportunity to use all the things that you’ve learned by reading this book or participating in a hearing rehabilitation program! Enlist your audiologist’s help and use the Resources section.

When requesting accommodations, a nonadversarial approach is best. It helps if you can demonstrate that the accommodations you’re requesting will make you a more productive worker or improve the work environment for everyone (for example, making the work area quieter or improving the lighting). You might consider looking into tax incentives that could benefit your employer (see the Resources section), but this is not required. If you’re requesting equipment, it may help to include information about where it can be purchased and how much it costs (again, the law does not require this). An oral request is acceptable, but making the request in writing allows it to be documented.

The law does not obligate an employer to provide accommodations that would cause undue hardship for the company or fundamentally alter its work (for example, those that would require unreasonable expense or disrupt the work environment). In addition, the employer is not obligated to provide exactly what you request; a similar accommodation can be substituted if it enables you to perform the essential functions of your job. Personal devices, such as hearing aids, are not covered by the ADA.

If you feel your request for a reasonable accommodation has been unjustly denied or you have been discriminated against because of your hearing loss, you might have legal recourse. Contact information for filing complaints is provided in the Resources section.