Department of Rehabilitation

ladysolitary85

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So I'm finally going to go to someone at DOR and see if they can help me find a job and just learn about what its about. Hopefully they can help me.

I'm already on my 1st unemployment extension, I'm just overwhelmed I don't like being unemployed but I also don't want to rush to the nearest fast food joint and get screamed at like I used to (I wish I was more aware of my rights then but I was young and more concerned with losing a job).The minute I mention that I'm deaf in a job interview (and I usually do to avoid looking stupid throughout the interview) I get turned down, and I have no way of really proving it. My past few jobs, I've had bosses talk smack about turning my hearing aid up or telling another manager to buy me a new hearing aid, being clapped at (like a dog), I actually had one boss say to me she hired me because she felt sorry for me. I know I'm capable of so much more and deserve a better job, I just have to find one right for me.

Its just... weird I've always been in the hearing world, and no matter how hard I try I still feel like I don't belong.

So maybe they can help me out. Kind of refreshing to know the person I'm seeing is also deaf and has been in my shoes before.

Sorry for sounding a bit whiny but I just need to vent to people who actually understands what its like.

Anyways, my point to this is has anyone been to DOR (or VOR)? What was your experience?
 
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Guessing the VR is much better these days than it was when I was in the job market....?? ....Anyhow, after waiting and waiting...I found my own jobs.

But anyhow, wishing you good luck, Lady!...Hope the job you find is a good one and you like it, and will be able to advance and bring the $$ home.
 
Wirelessly posted (sent from a smartphone. )

Wish you good luck on your future career. :)
 
VR has given me new hearing aids and I'm super grateful, but they haven't done much for me in terms of jobs. They gave me a schedule A letter and told me to contact them when I got a job so they could close my case. They don't seem to have an insider connections or a secret job list to help me (maybe a misunderstanding on my part). My VR counselor gave me some jobs sites and internships information via links, but the grunt work of applying for jobs is still the same. VR did provide other resources - like interview practice and resume help - although neither of those services were needed. To be fair, I'm looking for fairly technical position that I would not expect to be available in my geographical area - so my VR counselor is not going to see my sort of job listing anyway. I'm just using usajobs and notifying the human resources department that I applied for a particular job and include my Schedule A letter.


For the college students on AD, I'm having (just a little!) luck using Workforce Recruitment Program - one internship in undergrad (5 years ago) and an interview just recently. If you have been enrolled in college in the last year, you might be eligible to interview in the fall. It is easily a hit and miss program though as many people who are interviewed are never contacted - I was not contacted for 4 years although I interviewed every fall.

I know this it is discouraged (so pursue at your own risk!), but if you interview with WRP and contact a federal agency in the spring (i.e. target a specific person in a specific area within a field that you are directly interested in - not some random person) that you'd like to work for, if you can do it carefully in a cover letter expressing your sincere interest in the project/agency, you can drop a hint that you are in the WRP database and they can decide to hire you for a summer internship. This is how I got my first internship - I didn't pursue it for the other years because I had other stuff lined up. A lot of people within gov't agencies don't realize this program exist, which is sad.

Back to the topic - good luck Lady Solitary - I hope VR is able to provide more tangible resources! I am curious as to the experiences of others who have worked with VR.
 
My VR Update: My counselor was very nice and understanding (it also helped that he is also deaf, made me feel great that someone knows exactly how I feel). He's more fluent in ASL and had a interpreter with him and I thought that was really cool. I explained to him I was raised oral, Never took ASL classes but I want to. No one in my family is deaf, that the little previous town I lived in I worked mostly fast food and cashier/customer service jobs. He understand why every job didn't work out for me and also feels that I was discriminated against in many jobs, as well as some interviews. I get the impression that he's been there done that and sympathizes with me on that level.

I told him I'm trying to learn ASL online because I really want to become fluent enough to use it and I know I do need it in my life. He did said while taking classes or learning online is a great idea, the best way to become more fluent is to get involved with the local deaf community. Not to be shy (which I am in person lol) and to just go out there, meet people. Unlike the last town I went to a deaf social that had all teenagers (awkward for me because I can't relate to them anymore), this is a bigger city and theres a variety of age groups so he encourages me to try.

What he wants to do is try to get me a state job (which I am all for that!) he said in my city theres at least 46 positions for the deaf/hard of hearing. There are programs to get me through an assessment and finding a job that takes about 2 months or longer to do. But because I've never been through VR, never looked for help, been through what I've been through and my unemployment is running out he wants to get the ball rolling faster for me.

There are also programs that can help me learn ASL, prepare for interviews, get help my my self esteem, and this program isn't open to the general public and is pretty pricey, but VR can take care of the prices which is really great to know I really need something like that.

They could help me with a hearing aid but because the one I currently have on they can only assist me with that if it is broken or I don't have one. Which I understand that. At least now I know where to go to if I have a hard time getting the next one.

All in all, I feel hopeful in this. It's really nice to know I can get help finding a job. Right now I'm just waiting on my overall approval (good thing I brought my audio-grams with me)
 
Nice going lady. Your postings will be sure to be refered to when other HOH show up looking for ideas. Especiallyb for those newly part of the deaf world. I think it also goes to show that even if someone is HOH having some sign skills comes in handy. I look like a typical hearing asl class reject when I sign, and I am stone deaf. But it is enough for when I need it.
Maybe you can get a job sellinf high mileage cars ?? Lol
 
What he wants to do is try to get me a state job (which I am all for that!) he said in my city theres at least 46 positions for the deaf/hard of hearing. There are programs to get me through an assessment and finding a job that takes about 2 months or longer to do. But because I've never been through VR, never looked for help, been through what I've been through and my unemployment is running out he wants to get the ball rolling faster for me.

Keep us informed about how you're doing and remember to stay positive but also remember that you are you're own best advocate, so don't let them do all the work. I was in your situation once with the state job and it just never happened even with Mass Rehab's help. So take whatever they offer and try to make the best of it.

Laura
 
So I'm finally going to go to someone at DOR and see if they can help me find a job and just learn about what its about. Hopefully they can help me.

I'm already on my 1st unemployment extension, I'm just overwhelmed I don't like being unemployed but I also don't want to rush to the nearest fast food joint and get screamed at like I used to (I wish I was more aware of my rights then but I was young and more concerned with losing a job).The minute I mention that I'm deaf in a job interview (and I usually do to avoid looking stupid throughout the interview) I get turned down, and I have no way of really proving it. My past few jobs, I've had bosses talk smack about turning my hearing aid up or telling another manager to buy me a new hearing aid, being clapped at (like a dog), I actually had one boss say to me she hired me because she felt sorry for me. I know I'm capable of so much more and deserve a better job, I just have to find one right for me.

Its just... weird I've always been in the hearing world, and no matter how hard I try I still feel like I don't belong.

So maybe they can help me out. Kind of refreshing to know the person I'm seeing is also deaf and has been in my shoes before.

Sorry for sounding a bit whiny but I just need to vent to people who actually understands what its like.

Anyways, my point to this is has anyone been to DOR (or VOR)? What was your experience?

If that manager clapped on your ears just to grab your attention - sue him....
 
I wish you all the luck in the world at finding a great job soon! I to am working with the DOR and was given two new hearing aids (so happy about that) and hope to learn to sign as well. Good luck!
 
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Your past experiences sound horrible. I have been a stay at home mom besides some little part time jobs to subsidize our income. I just graduated college and doing my job hunt now. I am HOH and probably should say deaf in one ear. No hearing aids and I just started my adventures with the VRS. My first hearing test was yesterday.
I am sensitive so not sure how I would deal with what you have been through on the job. Hope you never have to again.
 
yeah, I've been clapped at also plus they act like baseball refs signing (fake,as a joke) told about deaf and dumb. It really is irritating and makes me not what to be around people. Gotten into fights at grade school cause I wore a hearing aid. Can't really tell the difference between the kids at school and the adults at work.
I no longer work.
Now , I stay at home with the animals lol a whole lot more peaceful
 
I have been a VR client, a VR counselor, and a VR ombudsperson. Generally speaking, it is not the job of VR to find jobs for its clients. What it does is to rehab so they can find jobs. The lower-functiioning the client is, the more likely they will help them find jobs.

In your situation, what they may likely do for you is to teach you job interview skills. If you need an interpreter during the interview, they will get one for you.

Good luck.
 
I have been a VR client, a VR counselor, and a VR ombudsperson. Generally speaking, it is not the job of VR to find jobs for its clients. What it does is to rehab so they can find jobs. The lower-functiioning the client is, the more likely they will help them find jobs.

In your situation, what they may likely do for you is to teach you job interview skills. If you need an interpreter during the interview, they will get one for you.

Good luck.

A VR counselor can give an interest test to see if will help a person find a job they may like. I had one when I was younger but it was not a lot of help.
The test said I could be a train engineer, blacksmith or forest ranger!
 
Wish be you luck for your career goal effort empowerful :) effort

Hope be your do it effort to your assessment to your quality effort to goal moving to future then your skills best ;)
 
A VR counselor can give an interest test to see if will help a person find a job they may like. I had one when I was younger but it was not a lot of help.
The test said I could be a train engineer, blacksmith or forest ranger!

I got similar jobs pegged on me and all I could do was ask myself, "do they realize the area of my learning disability? How could I go into accounting or science related fields?" Even for forest ranger, you need perfect hearing, eye sight, and can't be over 37 to qualify. Unreal....

Laura
 
I got similar jobs pegged on me and all I could do was ask myself, "do they realize the area of my learning disability? How could I go into accounting or science related fields?" Even for forest ranger, you need perfect hearing, eye sight, and can't be over 37 to qualify. Unreal....

Laura

I had this test when I was in my 20's , but I still would not had been able to do any of them. I had 20/ 15 vision then , if I knew how to ride a horse and had better hearing I would loved to been a forest ranger .
 
if I knew how to ride a horse and had better hearing I would loved to been a forest ranger .

You don't need to ride a horse for that job, but you do need perfect eye sight, hearing and you must be under 37. God only knows why, most of the forest rangers I've seen wear glasses and are over weight. I would have liked a job where I wasn't tied to a desk, able to be outside and speaking with people.
 
I tested out as potential for an architectural draftsman. I must be one of those low functioning people though, as I did get placed.

As a janitor...
 
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