DeafCaroline

Neither did I. I started up my business with just a computer and a printer.

Deafness

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on AllDeaf.com

CrazyPaul

Oh, you mean you run a business through internet?

DeafCaroline

I grew up oral, and I am actually deaf. like stone cold deaf.

and my first job was serving customers at a movie theatre. when I didn't understand them, I would just ask them to point to what they wanted, I placed different size cups and bags on the counter and ask them to point to whatever size they wanted and to point to what drink they want and to point to which candy they wanted. It IS possible, one just has to be willing to be adaptive.

You're right, restaurants like Red Lobster would unlikely hire deaf waiters and that's an unfortunate reality.

CrazyPaul

Oralists read lips or wear a hearing aid to listen and they can talk verbally. That make a big difference between deafies and oralists. I know because I have friends who are oralists. I have to communciate to hearing people by writing and oralists don't need to write. In other words, I am 100% deaf. Those friends of mine, oralists wear a hearing aid and some of them are able to use a phone and understand what are being said, therefore I call them oralists or HOH, not deaf. Did you know that on DVDs there are subtitles for deaf and HOH which is called SDH?

DeafCaroline

I can't understand a word on telephones. And I thought deaf people who sign also learn to lipread. And by the way, even oralists can't lipread everything - only about 30% of the spoken english language is speechread-able. so it's not like I understand everything and life is so easy. i was unemployed for years and this was very difficult for me as a single mother of two young children and an asshole ex who consistently failed to pay child support. And I have had to get people, even my own boyfriends to write things down on paper.

Anyway...you're right, it is hard for deaf people who don't speak to get hired. but it's difficult even for oralists to get jobs too. That's why, again, I'm a firm believer the deaf, whether they sign or speak, need to learn trades in order to start up their own businesses and be their own boss so they would never be in a position where they are completely dependent on being hired in order to earn an income.

Those people in Thailand, they have even less government resources, if any at all. It was out of sheer need that they learned trades to start up their own businesses. that's why I said, where there's a will, there's a way.

DeafCaroline

No, I freelanced as a graphic designer. but I communicated with my clients via email or through msn messenger. It was rare I ever saw them in person.

CrazyPaul

How did your customers know you in the first place?

DeafCaroline

Through connections and word of mouth. I first started working in films because my ex was a production designer then for a while I did work for a company as a website designer then got laid off when they were having financial troubles - I was the first to be laid off. Then really struggled for a while to find another job before deciding to start up my own company. I went back to working for films then a chance encounter with someone I knew from university, we bumped into each other at a coffee shop, she asked if I would be willing to work with the company she worked for - a very big international apparel company and this company was located in a huge building where many other apparel companies were situated so word of mouth spread through the building and before I knew it, I was working with more clients.

Word of mouth and connections go a long way.

CrazyPaul

OK, I understand. Originally you suggested that jobless deaf people could learn trades to start a new business and be our own boss. But running or owning a business is risky, isn't it? So maybe that's why many of them are afraid to try.

katz4life

I am Deaf since birth and no I do not see myself as a disabled. I do not have a job (I have been looking for one and applied over 1,000 different jobs within 10 years and no one hired me). No use of SSD, no SSDI, no unemployment checks, none of any assistandce is needed or wanted. What would happen to me? Living on the street. Is that what you would want to expect of me? So you HEARIES give me and Deafies no other choice who is in my shoes..but SSD or SSDI is only thing we are depending to survive. If you assume me being lazy and potato couch as where in reality of myself holding a Bachelor's Degree and have had applied tons of jobs with no success of being hired then **** YOU!

katz4life

I am sure that a LOT of hearing people have no clue who was the first deaf President of U.S. It is no surprise that they hearies do not realize themselves having a lower IQ.

katz4life

That is result of skyrocketing of abortions. Sure.

Krissy

Hmm..I don't class myself as disabled but I class myself as having a disability

audiodef

I hope I don't meet anyone who, for example, was actually offered decent jobs with decent salaries and turned them down because they could get SSDI and not work. That kind of behavior pisses me off because I tried for a long time after I lost my last job to find another one and because of blatant discrimination, I couldn't. I see products, web sites, and all kinds of things that are examples of shitty work. Employers want the cheapest damn thing they can get away with while making the most money, and deaf people are a financial drain to them - especially intelligent deaf people who might demand a decent salary and reasonable accommodations.

So I decided that employers everywhere could go **** themselves. I do collect SSDI. It wasn't my first option. It's not my plan to depend on it forever, and I hope to someday be able to not have to depend on a system that feels like it's going to go tits up soon anyway.

I definitely do not consider myself disabled in any profound sense. It's everyone without any kind of physical disability who pushes the rest of us around that are the truly disabled.

audiodef

Shit, are you hiring? Because that's the attitude more employers need to take in order for me to consider this a rational society.

As far as oppression goes, that does sound a bit melodramatic, but I often think that deafness is the most socially isolating disability, considering that human society's communication is based on sound.

audiodef

I agree. Things are pretty damn bad and getting worse, not better.

For example, have you noticed that there are fewer closed captions now? True, there's this SDH that is sometimes good and sometimes just subtitles, but often those are in a font that's hard to read against the movie. What irritates me is that movies are increasingly not bothering to caption the lyrics of the film's soundtrack - as if the implication is that those little deaf people won't care about stupid music anyway. Seriously, filmmakers? You know better than that. Words to the film's soundtrack often provide some of the film's ambience. Plus, not all people who require captions are completely deaf, and it's irritating to hear singing and not be able to follow it.

A minor example, but indicative, nonetheless.

Beach girl

True, and no question deafness can be isolating, but I think the worst disabilities are those that confine a person physically. I mentioned my husband' s cousin who slipped on the ice last year and now is almost completely paralyzed. He cannot do a thing for himself, not even to comb his hair, brush his teeth, use the bathroom. Compared to that, I'd take hearing loss any day.

audiodef

This is exactly why I was not able to get another job after I lost my last one. I had tons of inquiries about my resume. Hiring managers and recruiters were drooling all over me. But wait! He's deaf? Nevermind. :asshole:

Grummer

i wouldnt call it hearing loss, UNLESS you consider yourself as a hearing person (a hearie) then it is a hearing loss...

__________________
"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them."
Albert Einstein

Banjo

I agree, the missing lyrics is a big issue with the SDH tracks.

CrazyPaul

I am NOT ABLE to hear, therefore I am DISABLED. It doesn't mean that I can't work. Disabled means not able (to hear, walk, see, or function mentally or physically).

What's more, this thread is under the category, American with Disablitlites Act. What does that tell you?

knofskia

I may be wrong, but it sounds like some people are confusing the word disabled with the word dependent. The word disabled means having a lack of an ability. Since the human body has the equipment to enable the ability to hear, when you find someone who can't hear, it is understandable to view them as having a dis-ability. However, this does not mean that they are disabled in any other way or that they are so disabled as to be dependent on other people to care for their needs.

Unfortunately, I have seen many hearing people make this assumption about deaf people; that they are dependent because they can't hear. And THAT is a ridiculous assumption.

CrazyPaul

You are right except that deafies are eligible for SSI or SSDI, therefore they are dependents of the federal government. It's the law. I think that's reasonable since ALOT of businesses won't hire deaf people. Don't blame us, blame those businesses.

I am one of those luckiest deafies who have a job. So if when I lose my job and can't find another job, then I must depend on the government for money because I am deaf like alot of deafies do.

sisu

Interesting topic and interesting answers. For me personally I retired at 21 years plus a 3 year buy out; hearing being the reason. I am a math teacher and my hearing was getting so bad that I could not understand a lot of middle school girls who's voice lingered in the hearing loss range that I have, even some boys fit in that definition, but by far there were more girls there than boys. I miss teaching terribly, I do substitute but I do realize that I can't understand the students some of the time because of the loss.
Am I disabled? Yes I am, but I keep trying to hang in there.

I thought of working retail, but after walking around stores and visiting with people in a noisy environment similar to a classroom I could just see the customers reaction to me asking them to repeat things over and over again. Some times it is very frustrating, and I really dislike it when someone says, "Oh forget it or never mind". That ticks me off...as a result I don't talk much with my son in law even though I love him very much. I guess I should just tell him how I feel about that instead of clamming up.

GISJason

LOL Why not? Think of it this way. Years of watching your local town big wigs waste massive amounts of $$$$ on ridiculous projects and buildings just to be abandoned and scrapped then repeat the following year. So yeah you want to take your God-given right to take your tax dollars BACK OUT OF THE SYSTEM that's failed and wasted massive amounts of money on BS. It's ridiculous not to mention the endless amounts of people that ACTUALLY don't want to work and get services just like that. SSDI isn't even enough to live off of anyways it won't pay for the food and etc. If you've got 5+ kids.

Also they stifle productivity by telling you that you’re not allowed to earn over a certain amount of $ each month while drawing, if your one that likes to get out and WORK WORK WORK like me which I had to quit because my "trail to work" was running out and cannot be reset. The hours weren't even stable enough and the pay was like what? 1800 Short of being same as SSDI. Lack of good paying jobs around here doesn't help either. As well ignorant employers that freak as soon as they get wind of my hearing impairment. I hate this part the most. Pisses me off to the max because I want to be PART of something and have something to work on constantly!

I was shocked I even got it in the first place. Never heard of such a thing being possible for us to get for free, also never had considered myself disabled at all and STILL DON'T...I had been working for 10+ years before I actually gave in and applied for it since I got kids and bills to take care of. Really made me mad when I walked into there and noticed so many people in there THAT LOOKED WELL ABLE TO WORK even young people and known druggies and thugs. So yeah I didn't feel bad after that at all I'll take every damned red cent I can get out of that screwed up system. It's free and everyone is DOING IT. If you can do it GO FOR IT WHILE IT LASTS... At this going rate it may not be here for very long

I'm in the process of trying HAs and getting speech therapy and possibly CI as well so I can please the potential employers and hearing clients I get here… Usually they feel awkward and I don’t like putting them in that situation. Usually Pen and paper does the trick and eases them a bit but still you know what I’m saying? Also been wanting to hear for a long time anyways so it’s a WIN WIN!

Outsider

This one is no longer a tricky one for me. The answer I would point out about this topic question as if we consider ourselves disabled because we're Deaf? I would say NO, because I personally don't think my whole body itself isn't considered disabled. While only my ear is considered disabled that all.

__________________
OutSider believe LOVE is the way to enternal LIFE

Lau2046

Speaking for myself, I do. While I function fine, speaking and hearing, with hearing aids - if they break, I'm screwed. My job is at risk, I can't perform any of the duties of my position without them. Moreover, I don't Sign, so I'm up the river with no paddles. When I was 18, I wanted to join the military and couldn't because my hearing loss. It also prevented me from being a police officer or an agent. All things I wanted to do because I wished to make a living helping people. So, for myself, yes it is a disability, largely because I also deal with a learning disability. I've always wanted to follow my mother and some members of my family into medicine. It just wasn't possible given the obstacles I was up against. I had to find a way to earn a living around my disabilities. Needless to say I'm the lowest earner in my family and I've had to fight the hardest for even small achievements. Everyone's different....

Outsider

I can understand how you feel and where you want to go with your future goal. I once had thought to be a police and military too. The thing is, there are hearing people who aren't physical disability and couldn't join because they did not pass the test to become a police or military as well. Everyone was born to be different with their limit of skills. Not only by the ability. It's not easy to get into the service.

However, the other thing is; did you know in our present day there is a police officers and military who are Deaf? They fought to join in. There's no reason why you can't today?

I used to work in a restaurant where they make a subs and I remember how I first was nervous to see how I could try communicating with the customer order in a different way I normally do. Because my hearing aid broke that time too. The surprising is, I did well getting the customer order. This work out by how I never give up to try find a way to communicate and that the skills I had. There is always a way to resolve such issues. Beside the ability of the skills , we are lucky in this present day when we have a technology to work with us doing business today. I am not sure what this position of your you have trouble with when you're without a hearing aid?

Just in mind as I do, when I say my both ears is considered disabled, I mean to say this as I have a limited ability to use my ears. BUT.... the rest of my body could still consider not being disabled. The balance from a Deaf ear to the rest of the physical body still has a physical ability to do the work is still considered not disabled.

__________________
OutSider believe LOVE is the way to enternal LIFE

A Nihilist

Every individual is different you can't just make a blanket statement with assuming everyone that is deaf thinks they are disabled.

I do agree with a lot of people here in that it's a physical disability that does make life more difficult; there goes my career as a rock star and forget any jobs involving phone calls.

However, life is what you make of it and I even see people who are "perfect", that is, they have no disabilities and yet they can't hold a job to save their life. Instead whining about my hearing inability I instead dealt with it the best I could by choosing a profession in which my hearing is not an issue.

caz12

there debate about this in uk...to get certain allowences you have register as disabled and the money is needed for terps etc etc but many profound say not disabled very grey area