Toonces

More than 10 years ago, President George Bush Sr. signed a law Americans with Disabilities Act and for a long time it was in full force and was very helpful to many of us in obtaining jobs and so on. Now, it seems to me it is steadily weakening each day.

So I'm curious....do you think Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is still good, or has it been watered down so much it is almost useless now? And how?

Any thoughts?

Deafness

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Vance

According to this deaf guy, he told me that it has been 'watered' down by current admin. I rather to leave this up to that deaf guy (yes, he is a AD'er) to avoid from making the mistakes. Apparently that he have more information about this ADA than I do.

Y

Before ADA, I had no problem getting
decent job offers to work with computers but
I noticed that I'm having difficult times
getting any job offers after ADA passed the law.

On the other hand, ADA seem to be effective
at other areas such as getting an interpreter...
but this ADA law does NOT help me to
get a decent job offer.

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SpiceHD

i think its like a habit now ... ADA used to be a big deal about 10 years ago... now... everyone knows about it, knows it exist but dont use it much unless neccessary. Now pretty much all hotels follows ADA except for low budget ones.. and everywhere i would see fire alarm... also interpreter is pretty good too. it might be watered down a bit but its still in effect cuz if it is not... we would have hard time to get interpreter... wayyyy harder... we would have wayyy harder time trying to get a motel to give u tty cuz it was in ADA law so u see... it still is in effect just not big deal anymore people dont really talk about it anymore

im sure theres a lot of ignorants out there but again.. u got ADA to help you dealing with those ignorants. if its watered down... those ignorants will stay being ignorants

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Codger

Check my thread in the ADA forum. I am yet to hear back from the enforcement people even for an interview.

These past two months I have been in many medical facilities. ENT doctors. Audiologists. Radiology. Neurologist. Neurosurgeon. Cardiologist. Ambulance and Emergency room, Cardiac Intensive care unit. Operating room twice, hemotology. Gastrologist. Never has one provided me with communication. Aren't medical people supposed to be above average in intellegence? Even without ADA they should know that informed consent is questionable at best when a D/Hoh has only his wife as a go between and she has an eighth grade education! Auuuuugh! I went to great lengths to make sure each and every medico I came in contact with knew I was D/Hoh!

Swede

Yeah, I've also noticed that today, Deaf people have much harder time getting a job. I believe ADA has raised awareness of the law requiring accommodations for any type of disabilities, so employers hestitate to hire. Before ADA, employer weren't really required and were willing to hire deaf people without any strings attached, but unfortunately, that's not the case anymore.... looks like ADA did well for those who already have jobs and accessbilities for anyone but has made it much harder for getting a job because of added requirements to accommodate the needs of disabled people.

Reba

Are you saying that you requested communication accommodation and the hospital refused? Or did you request it and they just stalled you, or....?

They really should not be using your wife as a go-between. In fact, since HIPPA was enacted, the presence of a third-party is sometimes not allowed.

Sometimes just informing the medics that you are D/hoh is not enough. They don't always know what to do with that information. I know, I know, they should know what to do, but I am talking real life here. It sometimes requires some pro-activity to get things rolling. Some things, such as bringing with you the business card of an interpreting/transcribing service provider so you can give them the contact information, or having your specific communication requirements on file with your regular doctors. Your communication requirements should be set up at the same time as your appointment is made.

I know that emergencies can't be planned but having a card in your wallet with your information might be helpful.

Medical facilities and physicians that accept federal funds (such as Medicare and Medicaid) must fulfill ADA requirements or risk losing their federal eligibility.

VamPyroX

I think it's still good. There seems to be two big problems though...

The first problem, since the majority of the United States does not have a huge population of handicapped people... they don't always have accomodations ready.

The second problem, handicapped people abuse the ADA system.

I heard one story of this woman who complained about her ADA rights. She started her job, then suddenly started complaining about what she was supposed to have. Technically, the stuff she requested was not 100% needed for her job or for her to get her job done. They were actually extra stuff. They went ahead and tried to process her requests. During that time, she kept complaining and going around collecting information on proving her rights and trying to fight the company more. Later, they fired her. No, it wasn't because she was deaf. It was because she wasn't doing her job. Like I said, the things she requested weren't 100% needed in order for her to do her job... she was just taking advantage of the company and its resources. She couldn't sue either.

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Codger

At every venue level from my primary attending physician nad his staff, to every specialist referal, to the emergency room, through surgery and recovery. I first told them I was D/Hoh. I could not hear them. The only attempts at accomodation were to yell at me, or wave their hands like a bandmaster as if that meant something to me. Next time, big black permanent marker across my chest "I AM DEAF! NOT STUPID!" Every chart, every attending physician was notified before hand, then on admission, then by myself, then by my wife. One thoughtful night nurse used meaningful signs to show me what she wante me to do or to do to me. Under morophine sedation I could not specift text messaging. Or even a knowledgable terp who could understand my level of hearing loss and repeat for me word for important word what the staff said in a way I understand. My exact level of hearing loss is in my medical records. But you can bet I will take your suggestion and get some cards printed up. One side with deaf resources, the other with specific communication instructions. But I was stripped of everything when admitted, so maybe a deaf I.D. necklace too?

Reba

Hearing people are dense about D/hoh communication needs. As you have found out the hard way, just informing someone that you are D/hoh is not enough. You have to lead the hearies by the hand to let them know how they should accommodate your needs. That is not the ideal, but that is real life.

Unfortunately, they will just yell louder if you do that.

You write "notified" but did you tell them specifically what you needed for accomodation? Most hearies don't know what you need, and every D/hoh person has different needs. Some prefer a terp (ASL or SEE or PSE), cued speech facilitator, oral speech facilitator, CART transcriber, special amplification (FM system), etc. Hearies don't have a clue. If you can, meet with local service providers and find one that meets your needs. Then, find out how they contract their services with hospitals and doctors. Some interpreting/communication companies have staff members whose job is to contact hospitals, businesses, agencies, etc., and explain their services and set up contracts with them.

Each locality is different. There is also a difference between services provided by private companies and government agencies. Check them all out if you can. I can give you some links thru pm if you want. I don't want to "sell" my company (no undo pressure), so I can send you several links without identifying which it is. The one I work for (and several others) are national, not just local, so you will have choices.

It might be a good idea. Maybe there is something available like MedicAlert?
http://www.medicalert.org/home/Homegradient.aspx

Codger

Something like that. I used that link to find stainless dog tags that whey will engrave on both sides. One side I can put medical and I.D. information, and the other communication instructions. Oh, and did you see the medical information chip on MedicAlert? Neat! That would save a lot of time trying to answer the 2,000 questions I had to reanswer at every point. It just plugs into any computer! I heard they were going to put something similar into military I.D. cards or tags.

You would think that a hospital in a city the size of Jackson Tennessee with a population of 60,000, county population over 100,000 would keep a terp, audiologist, or speech pathologist on staff, even a medico crosstrained in ADA issues. Please do I.M. me the links to Terp services in SW Tennessee. Jackson is most of my need, but Lexington too. That is where I have to go to the emergency room.

Toonces

Thanks, I have been wondering about ADA. It does make it a little easier to ask for interpreters, but not always. And I'm a little surprised that ADA makes it harder for deaf people to get a job. :/ (I had no problem getting a job btw).

Guess I'm learning something new about this ADA....

Nesmuth

The ADA these days is pretty much toothless. Its the advocates like me among others that have to band together like teeth on a pair of dentures to do the enforcing.

Richard

Margie

I agree with Richard.
Trying to get the ADA law to work, is like putting teeth.
But we will work hard to get the ADA law for all disabled.
Richard and I won't give up!
Margie

Tousi

Codger, I am curious what kind of accommodation you would ask for since I don't think you sign.

Y

I was thinking of this same good question ?!??

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Nesmuth

Most doctors offices and exam rooms have computers that are online and can be used for VRI or text based communications.

Richard

Codger

Text messaging would work well for me. In nearly all situations. I'm going to look for a small handheld text machine I can just hand someone to use...type and show it to me. I am post ligual/ late deafened and have good language and verbal skills, so I can reply easy enough. And in a lot of instances, the person I am talking to has a monitor and keyboadr right in front of them. Just turn it toward me and open Word pad in another window maybe. I dunno. Solutions are easy to think of if the other party is willing to take a tiny bit of thought and effort.

Codger

Text messaging would work well for me. In nearly all situations. I'm going to look for a small handheld text machine I can just hand someone to use...type and show it to me. I am post ligual/ late deafened and have good language and verbal skills, so I can reply easy enough. And in a lot of instances, the person I am talking to has a monitor and keyboard right in front of them. Just turn it toward me and open Word pad in another window maybe. I dunno. Solutions are easy to think of if the other party is willing to take a tiny bit of thought and effort.