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DeafNerdMommy

DeafNerdMommy

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I have a job house keeping, but I find it hard working with hearing people that try to enage me in conversation. I am wondering what others do for jobs and if they are hoh/deaf friendly? My dream part time/starting job when I was in high school was a receptionist, but phone calls and talking with guest would be hard for me.

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I am the only one who can sign at my work other than my students. I dont seek out to engage conversations with my hearing co workers. If they do try to engage me in conversations, I do have a hard time following them so I am upfront with them and tell them that I do well on an one-on-one basis not in a group setting.

I am a teacher but still looking for a job to get me out of the classroom. I would love to be an educational specialist. Maybe someday.

My dream job was to be an interior designer.
 
An interior designer would be so much fun. My dream dream job is to be a microbiologist. I have a long way to go lol. I have tried to tell my co worker that we can have conversations while I am vacuuming or in a different room, or really anywhere I can't see her lips. But she forgets like a lot of hearing people do with me. I find it frustrating. I try my best to remind her but last night she had a 20 minutes conversation with her self in another room. I could hear her voice but that was it. Then she walked in to the room I as in and asked for my opinion. I didn't want to be rude and tell her again I can't hear her, it is only me and her cleaning 7 hours a night. It is not deaf/HoH friendly. Teaching would be fun but I can see the down side unless teaching at a deaf school

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
An interior designer would be so much fun. My dream dream job is to be a microbiologist. I have a long way to go lol. I have tried to tell my co worker that we can have conversations while I am vacuuming or in a different room, or really anywhere I can't see her lips. But she forgets like a lot of hearing people do with me. I find it frustrating. I try my best to remind her but last night she had a 20 minutes conversation with her self in another room. I could hear her voice but that was it. Then she walked in to the room I as in and asked for my opinion. I didn't want to be rude and tell her again I can't hear her, it is only me and her cleaning 7 hours a night. It is not deaf/HoH friendly. Teaching would be fun but I can see the down side unless teaching at a deaf school

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
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I used to teach at a Deaf school but we kept getting salary freezes so I had to quit to work at the public school for better pay. My job is ok. I dont seek to socialize with my coworkers. I have my Deaf friends.

Do you want to socialize with your co workers or just go to work and do your job and go home? Thats how I view my job and my co workers. Not seeking friendships but I do have a few whom I am starting to socialize a bit with but I am just too busy at work anyway.
 
I have just found it hard because it's just me and a coworker on one team for 7 hours. I feel bad for her. She wanted to talk and get to know me but I have never felt conformable using my voice. My coworker keeps forgetting that I am HoH. I have had 4 jobs in my life so far and all of them have been hoh/deaf unfriendly.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
An interior designer would be so much fun. My dream dream job is to be a microbiologist. I have a long way to go lol. I have tried to tell my co worker that we can have conversations while I am vacuuming or in a different room, or really anywhere I can't see her lips. But she forgets like a lot of hearing people do with me. I find it frustrating. I try my best to remind her but last night she had a 20 minutes conversation with her self in another room. I could hear her voice but that was it. Then she walked in to the room I as in and asked for my opinion. I didn't want to be rude and tell her again I can't hear her, it is only me and her cleaning 7 hours a night. It is not deaf/HoH friendly. Teaching would be fun but I can see the down side unless teaching at a deaf school

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
Click to expand...

I have found the best approach is to be open and honest about my hearing issues. Unfortunately, there are some people that you have to continually remind that if your in another room or not looking at me I will not or might not hear what your saying to me. Eventually they get it but it might take several "20 minute" sessions of basically talking to themselves before they do. If you want to be a microbiologist go for it!
 
I think as said by others be upfront.I don't think people mean to be Deaf HOf Unfriendly if people not had contact with deaf then don't be too upset the unknown can be awkward on both sides.Be assertive in a pleasant way or mistakes will happen if she insists on talking from another room and won't be your fault...
And follow your dream
 
I also clean houses... But I cheat and request they not be in the home while I clean. I also work alone so guess I do not apply to your situation. But I also grab part work where and when I can. I keep a notebook and pen on me always and when someone tries to start talking to me I just hand them the notebook and pen. I have stopped trying so hard even though I talk fine and read lips. I will only put as much effort into communication as the other person because I do not care if we talk or not. Some think it's rude others do not... You have to determine what you what and go from there. Good luck on going for microbiology very interesting job idea. :)
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
I have just found it hard because it's just me and a coworker on one team for 7 hours. I feel bad for her. She wanted to talk and get to know me but I have never felt conformable using my voice. My coworker keeps forgetting that I am HoH. I have had 4 jobs in my life so far and all of them have been hoh/deaf unfriendly.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
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Maybe teach your colleague a little sign language?

It is probably a little harder to sign and work at the same time compared to speaking (provided the workers can hear), but if she wants to communicate with you, she might be interested.
 
That is true, I don't mind teaching people basic signs to hold a conversation. I don't know how she will respond but I will bring it up to her :)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
Just like what Seb said. Where I work, anytime there's new employee come in I tell him/her everything about my hearing lost and how to have me to understand other person talking. As me being supervisor and one hearing guy under me, he's more of already immerse with deaf culture, know little bit of sign but he does know to get me an attention if anything come up important. All this is because of my sharing with him about my deafness and deaf culture. As turned out that it make a lot easier for me and enjoyable to work there.
 
I feel there is no needs to feel sorry for the person you work with, you had told her you can't hear her when you're in another room vacuuming ,and I personally feel it's best not to become friends with your coworkers . If the friendship doesn't work out it's could be very awkward working with the person. When I was a health aide there was another health aide that was a nosiest person I met , she would fire questions about you and I would fire back the same questions to her.
Just tell the person that you really are not able to talk while working and if you want you can suggest going out for a cup of coffee before or after work with the person. You shouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable by your co worker if you don't feel like talking. I feel that person is being too pushy .
 
That co-worker doesn't seem pushy to me... maybe quite extroverted and just likes to talk to people. I don't know how long you have worked with her but if it hasn't been that long it may take a while for it to sink in with her regarding your hearing loss and what exactly works and doesn't work with communication and conversation.
 
It has almost been a month, so not very long at all

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So I found out my coworker knows about 10 words from a terp friend. I have told her twice that I sign at home.
I think she forgot again because she said something I thought was a little rude. We had another girl on our team tonight. The other girl wants to be a dentist assistant. Their got talking about months and how important they are. Then my coworker says 'with out months we would be mute. Using just weird hand gestures and facial expressions. How weird and crazy would that be? Everyone would look stupid.' I told her that she is describing ASL. She laughed and said that she even took some asl classes in college but no one took it seriously. I reminded her that I sign at home and have been for the last 9 years and that I am hard of hearing. She laughed and said oh I forgot again.
The other girl pulled me aside and apologized for the bad jokes. She also made sure she was in front of me all night and she didn't look away while talking. I wish I could work with her more often than 1 day a week.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
You have to remember that laughter sometimes comes from embarrassment rather than thinking something is funny.
 
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No way you can request a change in partners to switch to the woman you mentioned in your last post (who actually took steps on her own to make sure you were included)?

That would be a huge plus as sometimes I would think it would be necessary to have GOOD communication with your partner- even with cleaning houses etc.

Yes laughter sometimes can be a mask for embarrassment or fear but in this case with this little gem "Everyone would look stupid." I'm not so sure it was out of embarrassment. More like defensiveness.
 
Unfortunately she is the manager of our team, the other girl is just a part time team member. I wish I could trade.
My coworker is the kind of person to talk first and think later often getting her foot stuck in her month. I don't want to mess up our relationship because it is just her and I. But I feel like she won't put forth an effort.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
So I found out my coworker knows about 10 words from a terp friend. I have told her twice that I sign at home.
I think she forgot again because she said something I thought was a little rude. We had another girl on our team tonight. The other girl wants to be a dentist assistant. Their got talking about months and how important they are. Then my coworker says 'with out months we would be mute. Using just weird hand gestures and facial expressions. How weird and crazy would that be? Everyone would look stupid.' I told her that she is describing ASL. She laughed and said that she even took some asl classes in college but no one took it seriously. I reminded her that I sign at home and have been for the last 9 years and that I am hard of hearing. She laughed and said oh I forgot again.
The other girl pulled me aside and apologized for the bad jokes. She also made sure she was in front of me all night and she didn't look away while talking. I wish I could work with her more often than 1 day a week.

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Wow, what a total lack of respect!
 
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