Being a flight attendant and being HoH

Isadora

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Hello everybody,

I was browsing for a job and I came across an ad from American Airlines for Flight Attendants. I always thought it was impossible for me to be a FA being Hard of Hearing and relying most on lip reading (I wear a hearing aid - I can hear an alarm, but I can't hold a conversation over the phone or understand the PA).

Then I googled "physical requirements flight attendant hearing" and to my great surprise a came across this thread where apparently there are already several deaf Flight Attendants! :eek3:

So my questions are:
1) Do you know someone who is a deaf/HoH Flight Attendant?
2) Are they hired only if they speak ASL? (I don't)
3) If I apply for the position, should I put on my resume somewhere that I am hard of hearing?
 
Hello everybody,

I was browsing for a job and I came across an ad from American Airlines for Flight Attendants. I always thought it was impossible for me to be a FA being Hard of Hearing and relying most on lip reading (I wear a hearing aid - I can hear an alarm, but I can't hold a conversation over the phone or understand the PA).

Then I googled "physical requirements flight attendant hearing" and to my great surprise a came across this thread where apparently there are already several deaf Flight Attendants! :eek3:

So my questions are:
1) Do you know someone who is a deaf/HoH Flight Attendant?
2) Are they hired only if they speak ASL? (I don't)
3) If I apply for the position, should I put on my resume somewhere that I am hard of hearing?

1.) Nope.
2.) No, generally not (at least I don't think so...)
3.) Dunno about this. Probably better if you dont.
 
I just want to point out something.
I have always added that I was hearing impaired on my applications, either it asks if you have any impairments or disabilities, it is legal. Most of my applications didn't have it but I would add it in the comments section or wherever it seemed legit.
The reason Ive done this and it has saved some legal issues is...
I was singled out on my hearing with a government agency, when they asked how I got the job I replied that I put in an application. As they continued on about my hearing being a concern of safety, I flat out told them it was in the application, they thought I was bluffing them till they pulled it and seen it plain as day on the application... now they were bound to discrimination because I did not lie on my application and disclosed it. Therefore giving me more legal pull if needed.
 
Therefore giving me more legal pull if needed.

The point is that I don't want to be hired because I am different, I want to be hired despite I am different. You could pull of sort of strings on discrimination, but what kind of professional environment are you going to face daily, if the company hires you just to avoid a lawsuit?
 
The point is that I don't want to be hired because I am different, I want to be hired despite I am different. You could pull of sort of strings on discrimination, but what kind of professional environment are you going to face daily, if the company hires you just to avoid a lawsuit?

I agree with not wanting to have a bad environment, but I also think sometimes you have to do what gets your foot in the door. My first job working as a photographer for a company I went in every day for a month begging for a job.... first with a portfolio he liked, then asking each day how to improve it until finally he told me flat out he didn't want to hire me because of my deafness, because he doubted I could benefit the company because the ONLY thing I couldn't do in my own way was answer a phone. I got that first job because the next day I walked in with a copy of ADA and a list of ways I could adapt to any excuse he made except for the phones. I got the job because he couldn't give me any more excuses. That job was my "beginning job" which gave me experience and a resume for future bigger jobs. So I disagree with not trying everything to get your foot in the door if that's what you REALLY want to be doing... Don't be a push over, just be nice about it :) No one wants to work with an a**hole. haha

And you only have do disclose it if your job might need to be altered to accommodate your hearing loss... so if you're going to fight it and pull the ADA card you better have all the other skills PLUS immediately give them ways to get around any adaptation you need.

For flying on an airline though the deaf can't sit in the emergency window areas because they can't follow verbal cues on the PA.... would that be an issue?
 
So I disagree with not trying everything to get your foot in the door if that's what you REALLY want to be doing...

Well, I can understand if you did so with your first job and you wanted to work for Richard Avedon or Annie Leibovitz. But I can't really condone a professional going begging for a job. That's basically against any advice on careers websites!

And you only have do disclose it if your job might need to be altered to accommodate your hearing loss... so if you're going to fight it and pull the ADA card you better have all the other skills PLUS immediately give them ways to get around any adaptation you need.

Well, I think it is also in my interested to let them know that in case of an emergency I might not hear the PA if it is too low or if I am in a noisy environment. And I believe that the employer should be put in the best possible condition to offer me the level of safety that any other employee receives. What is something happens to me and then it turns out they didn't know about my hearing loss and thus it could have been prevented?!

Besides, is there any job where you are not supposed to answer your own phone?!

For flying on an airline though the deaf can't sit in the emergency window areas because they can't follow verbal cues on the PA.... would that be an issue?

I knew about this and am I very surprised that you can be a flight attendant and hard of hearing.
 
You can try, but when you get into a hearing world - just prepare to cry a river when you can't understand all of the hearing people at once demanding, crying, moaning, yelling, and etc. SIGH!

Then you will probably leave.
 
Well, I can understand if you did so with your first job and you wanted to work for Richard Avedon or Annie Leibovitz. But I can't really condone a professional going begging for a job. That's basically against any advice on careers websites!



Well, I think it is also in my interested to let them know that in case of an emergency I might not hear the PA if it is too low or if I am in a noisy environment. And I believe that the employer should be put in the best possible condition to offer me the level of safety that any other employee receives. What is something happens to me and then it turns out they didn't know about my hearing loss and thus it could have been prevented?!

Besides, is there any job where you are not supposed to answer your own phone?!



I knew about this and am I very surprised that you can be a flight attendant and hard of hearing.

You can easily tell there is something wrong with you by the tone of your voice. Being that deaf people cannot hear the tone of their voice and it's rare for a hearing person to come into contact with a deaf person they will automatically assume you have a mental retardation.

As for some of what I read in your post this is why employers do not like to hire those with disabilities.

Many people with disabilities since ADA have been catered to and just like you have your good set of people you have people who have been coddled by the system to where they believe they are owed a job or reduced rates and the normal person is a 'peon.'

The issue here is customer safety and customer service. Many disabled people of all sorts go into jobs and have a different mindset then what is expected of an employee. To where the customers needs must come first for many disabled persons out there in the workforce they have an mentality that they themselves come first and the customers needs come last....

That's always bothered me about the seniors and disabled.

I work in the customer service field and always am in a field that is either an emergency service or deals with those who are disabled. Every once in a while a pointless 'council' of ADA customers is heard and a company decides to hire customers who are known to complain, whine, try to get every person they talk to fired and give them a job.

I just so happened to work at two companies that did a mass hiring one in an emergency road side service call center and the other a ADA para transit program.

The ADA customers all hired on either quit or where fired by the end of the week.

For the para transit impatient blind, seniors and other people with forms of retardation either cussed out customers, refused to be patient with customers on the phone or just hung up on people because they were offended that other people on the phone cussed them out for no reason.

One blind senior fired herself by actually calling the compliant line she used to use to get people fired saying she was a worker and demanded this other person should be banned because the customer dared talk back to her so she cussed her out saying her disability was more important and that entitled her to talk down to the customer.

If you cannot do your job or put the customer first and do not think you'd be a good fit because of your disability don't apply.

Don't be the jerk blind lady who tells the person allergic to dogs that she must quit her job because being blind is more important and she must have a dog and that a person who can die by being near a dog must hire die or quit.

Lol that court case was funny and I still don't understand how a person who is blind trumps a person with an allergy to dogs.
 
You can easily tell there is something wrong with you by the tone of your voice. Being that deaf people cannot hear the tone of their voice and it's rare for a hearing person to come into contact with a deaf person they will automatically assume you have a mental retardation.

As for some of what I read in your post this is why employers do not like to hire those with disabilities.

Many people with disabilities since ADA have been catered to and just like you have your good set of people you have people who have been coddled by the system to where they believe they are owed a job or reduced rates and the normal person is a 'peon.'

The issue here is customer safety and customer service. Many disabled people of all sorts go into jobs and have a different mindset then what is expected of an employee. To where the customers needs must come first for many disabled persons out there in the workforce they have an mentality that they themselves come first and the customers needs come last....

That's always bothered me about the seniors and disabled.

I work in the customer service field and always am in a field that is either an emergency service or deals with those who are disabled. Every once in a while a pointless 'council' of ADA customers is heard and a company decides to hire customers who are known to complain, whine, try to get every person they talk to fired and give them a job.

I just so happened to work at two companies that did a mass hiring one in an emergency road side service call center and the other a ADA para transit program.

The ADA customers all hired on either quit or where fired by the end of the week.

For the para transit impatient blind, seniors and other people with forms of retardation either cussed out customers, refused to be patient with customers on the phone or just hung up on people because they were offended that other people on the phone cussed them out for no reason.

One blind senior fired herself by actually calling the compliant line she used to use to get people fired saying she was a worker and demanded this other person should be banned because the customer dared talk back to her so she cussed her out saying her disability was more important and that entitled her to talk down to the customer.

If you cannot do your job or put the customer first and do not think you'd be a good fit because of your disability don't apply.

Don't be the jerk blind lady who tells the person allergic to dogs that she must quit her job because being blind is more important and she must have a dog and that a person who can die by being near a dog must hire die or quit.

Lol that court case was funny and I still don't understand how a person who is blind trumps a person with an allergy to dogs.
Wow! :shock: :ugh:
 
HiShadowX, someone is a jerk alright but it's not who the ADA relates to.

I've been a client of disability services and also been a case-manager working with people with cognitive disabilities and severe autism. Currently work in customer service.

What a stupid and callous post #8. What's wrong with you?
 
You said it yourself: jerkness trumps disability, so disable or not, we're all the same.

Exactly!

HiShadowX, someone is a jerk alright but it's not who the ADA relates to.

I've been a client of disability services and also been a case-manager working with people with cognitive disabilities and severe autism. Currently work in customer service.

What a stupid and callous post #8. What's wrong with you?

I am just someone who has worked in the industry and says how it is behind the scenes. In every CC we have the problem clients or clients who believe they can get away with anything. Many centers that deal with ADA inform employees that they must endure verbal abuse by ADA clients because it is our job to understand.

Problem is when they decide to hire these people who lack patience or believe the customer does not come first and believe they can just get on the phone and talk to anyone any which way.
 
I am just someone who has worked in the industry and says how it is behind the scenes. In every CC we have the problem clients or clients who believe they can get away with anything. Many centers that deal with ADA inform employees that they must endure verbal abuse by ADA clients because it is our job to understand.

The part I bolded is true with every industry, no matter where anyone works. Customer service, criminal justice, education or ADA. A lot of people think that way. It doesn't matter where they work.

Problem is when they decide to hire these people who lack patience or believe the customer does not come first and believe they can just get on the phone and talk to anyone any which way.

The fault is on the employer for not making sure they hire the correct people for the job. Sure, not everyone is perfect when hiring and people make mistakes. To me, don't the benefits of having employees who do their jobs correctly outweigh all of the problems? At least, sometimes?
 
FYI- there was a you tube video posted recently where a deaf girl wanted to work in an airport but she is being stonewalled by stalling the interviews hoping she would leave and she didnt give up. I am not sure whats the outcome is now for her, but I support her cause and do support yours. There is no reason why you cant work in an airplane.
 
Wirelessly posted

Bottesini said:
You can easily tell there is something wrong with you by the tone of your voice. Being that deaf people cannot hear the tone of their voice and it's rare for a hearing person to come into contact with a deaf person they will automatically assume you have a mental retardation.

As for some of what I read in your post this is why employers do not like to hire those with disabilities.

Many people with disabilities since ADA have been catered to and just like you have your good set of people you have people who have been coddled by the system to where they believe they are owed a job or reduced rates and the normal person is a 'peon.'

The issue here is customer safety and customer service. Many disabled people of all sorts go into jobs and have a different mindset then what is expected of an employee. To where the customers needs must come first for many disabled persons out there in the workforce they have an mentality that they themselves come first and the customers needs come last....

That's always bothered me about the seniors and disabled.

I work in the customer service field and always am in a field that is either an emergency service or deals with those who are disabled. Every once in a while a pointless 'council' of ADA customers is heard and a company decides to hire customers who are known to complain, whine, try to get every person they talk to fired and give them a job.

I just so happened to work at two companies that did a mass hiring one in an emergency road side service call center and the other a ADA para transit program.

The ADA customers all hired on either quit or where fired by the end of the week.

For the para transit impatient blind, seniors and other people with forms of retardation either cussed out customers, refused to be patient with customers on the phone or just hung up on people because they were offended that other people on the phone cussed them out for no reason.

One blind senior fired herself by actually calling the compliant line she used to use to get people fired saying she was a worker and demanded this other person should be banned because the customer dared talk back to her so she cussed her out saying her disability was more important and that entitled her to talk down to the customer.

If you cannot do your job or put the customer first and do not think you'd be a good fit because of your disability don't apply.

Don't be the jerk blind lady who tells the person allergic to dogs that she must quit her job because being blind is more important and she must have a dog and that a person who can die by being near a dog must hire die or quit.

Lol that court case was funny and I still don't understand how a person who is blind trumps a person with an allergy to dogs.
Wow! :shock: :ugh:

I get complimented all the time by my customers. I find many rude hearing people or Shall I say "non disabled" people that have no customer service skills and are very self centered. People in general do not always have customer service skills.
 
I just want to point out something.
I have always added that I was hearing impaired on my applications, either it asks if you have any impairments or disabilities, it is legal. Most of my applications didn't have it but I would add it in the comments section or wherever it seemed legit.
The reason Ive done this and it has saved some legal issues is...
I was singled out on my hearing with a government agency, when they asked how I got the job I replied that I put in an application. As they continued on about my hearing being a concern of safety, I flat out told them it was in the application, they thought I was bluffing them till they pulled it and seen it plain as day on the application... now they were bound to discrimination because I did not lie on my application and disclosed it. Therefore giving me more legal pull if needed.

I'm a federal employee and I've never written it anywhere on my resume that I'm hearing impaired (or learning disabled). Obviously if I applied under Schedule A - they have that information that I'm disabled because it's additionally noted on my SF 50. It's not my obligation to mention it yet again during the interview and list my limitations. Do they tell me theirs? "By the way, you should know as a boss, I'm a jerk and I'll have to approve all your leave, even if you have it; I often deny vacation time because I want it and I have to have someone in the office...sorry." No they don't...they keep quiet about their short comings too. During a meeting, I let them see my strengths and let my references speak for itself. Often when they learn of my limitations, they're surprised but typically accomodating....which is required under the law.

When I worked for the Dept. of Defense, I came to realize they were all a bunch of lying jerks who didn't care what documentation I had. So I left the bastards. I should point out, Mass Rehab gave me a lovely note detailing the disability, with the social and described it in the most unflattering way, so it's amazing I got the job. But then the DOD were looking for idiots that they could hire for cheap and never promote so that note did the job. The point being, they knew I had a disability, and they didn't give a damn. They didn't want to accomodate that...so I found a better job in time and never looked back. Mentioning your disability is no guaranty that your employers won't be jerks and hassle you regardless, so it's important to do a search of the better employers and apply there.

Always, always research your employers - whether it's a public or a private agency or business. They have you under a spot light looking at all the areas of your life - do the same right back so you're working for the best employers.

Laura
 
Mentioning your disability is no guaranty that your employers won't be jerks and hassle you regardless, so it's important to do a search of the better employers and apply there.

Thanks for sharing your story, however, the reason why one might be reluctant to withold his/her disability, is because you might liable of lying (or, put in legal term, of fraud toward your employer).

During an interview it is reasonable that the employee cannot test every single skill of the candidate. So, you might do well in person, but if your job involves daily communication over the phone with customers, I can see why your employer will be pissed off when you tell them you are not able to use the phone *AFTER* you are hired.

It is a very subtle thing because you are not usually putting on your resume "normal hearing", so you are not stating something false, you are simply withelding a truth you are not required to disclose.

It's like if you lost the use of your arm but you don't show it (during the interview) and apply for a position in a mattress warehouse, but on the 2nd say of work you say "well I can't lift a mattress since I can't use one of my arm". I guess that even if in the job ad it was stated that the candidate should be able to lift 10 lbs, you would still meet the requirement (with the "good" arm you have left), but, again, you are unable to perform part of your duties.


Also, on the risk front, the employer is responsible of your safety, and if you get in trouble because you can't hear something, he will be liable anyway.
 
Thanks for sharing your story, however, the reason why one might be reluctant to withold his/her disability, is because you might liable of lying (or, put in legal term, of fraud toward your employer).

It isn't fraud to not disclose your disability. You have no legal obligation to disclose it any more than you have an obligation to disclose your voting practice, your religion, or your private life. Disabilities are disclosed on a need to know basis. You could aruge that the DOD were guilty of fraudulent practices by advetising a job at the GS 5, 6, and 7 pay scale despite the fact that they never promoted anyone beyond the GS 5...ever. You could argue that it was fradulent of them to claim to be non discriminatory depite the fact that they routinely terminated people deemed "too old" to continue working. You could claim the DOD commited fraud by claiming to be sensitive to the needs of the disabled...which wasn't true...unless you could afford a good lawyer.

If they don't want to hire you because you lied on your resume saying you went to Harvard and you didn't - that's fraud. It's fraudulent if you said you worked for the top law firm in the country...and the Bar has never had you on record as a practicing attorney....Not disclosing the details of your disability doesn't count...just as them not revealing they're a**** counts.
 
Mentioning your disability is no guaranty that your employers won't be jerks and hassle you regardless, so it's important to do a search of the better employers and apply there.

Always, always research your employers - whether it's a public or a private agency or business. They have you under a spot light looking at all the areas of your life - do the same right back so you're working for the best employers.

Laura

Well said, that's one thing I learned unfortunately about some companies and have come to rely on sites like glassdoor.com and forums to get the real scoop on how it's REALLY like to work there.

Even on my resume I list my number as text only due to my hearing impairment and YET I STILL get phone calls and then I get emails saying, "Hey I tried to call you but got no response!" :roll:

It is frustrating indeed that even if you do everything right on your part people will still disappoint you. And side note, good to hear you got out of DoD, if you were still there you'd probably on furlough! :eek3:
 
flight attendent would have hear intercome with each other and piolet and be able to be good lip reader more than one lanuage...if truely believe and know you can cope and passengers safty ok go for it but sometimes you have to know limitations which goes for everyone deaf hearing
 
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