Hard of hearing, need advice

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lovedhearts

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Hey,
I've been hard of hearing my whole life, but 2 and half years ago, my left ear went from being mild to severe, my right ear has always been profound. I wear hearing aids, but the store that I work in is very big. I recently got accepted into a management position, mostly cause I speak so well. Lately, I've been so frustrated with the social interactions of my peers, and subordinates, any good tips on how I can better be able to communicate with them? I have trouble in large groups, and hearing over the walkie. I greatly appreciate any type of advice, seeing as how I have to interact with hearing people all day long.

Thanks!
 
lovedhearts said:
Hey,
I've been hard of hearing my whole life, but 2 and half years ago, my left ear went from being mild to severe, my right ear has always been profound. I wear hearing aids, but the store that I work in is very big. I recently got accepted into a management position, mostly cause I speak so well. Lately, I've been so frustrated with the social interactions of my peers, and subordinates, any good tips on how I can better be able to communicate with them? I have trouble in large groups, and hearing over the walkie. I greatly appreciate any type of advice, seeing as how I have to interact with hearing people all day long.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Maybe you could start by asking to be text messaged instead of using the walkie talkie?
 
I had a Comcast tech out here a couple weeks ago. I started talking to him as he entered and he looked at me and showed me his ID and started talking, and I realized he was deaf. Imagine that! we switched over to sign language and it was much easier.

Anyway, he had a device that was connected to his supervisors and coworkers that worked back in the office and data rooms or whatever. But the device was also his diagnostic tool and how he changed the numbers and stuff. This all-in-one device. Anyway, instead of calling his coworkers, whom he had to coordinate with, they just sent texts back and forth using his device. It made that part of the job a breeze for him. I thought back to when I was working at an apartment complex and had to use a walkie talkie, and I could never understand anything on it. I really wish it would have occurred to me to use texts back then. But I didn't even carry a cellphone with me, so oh well.
 
Hm, these are all really good advice. Though, I'm not quite sure if I can use text. Haha, I can't carry around a big stick, though some days I would like too. How about, how to manage in big groups where a lot of people are talking, I have trouble keeping up with the conversation.
 
lovedhearts said:
Hm, these are all really good advice. Though, I'm not quite sure if I can use text. Haha, I can't carry around a big stick, though some days I would like too. How about, how to manage in big groups where a lot of people are talking, I have trouble keeping up with the conversation.
Click to expand...

Are you the manager of this group?
 
lovedhearts said:
Hm, these are all really good advice. Though, I'm not quite sure if I can use text. Haha, I can't carry around a big stick, though some days I would like too. How about, how to manage in big groups where a lot of people are talking, I have trouble keeping up with the conversation.
Click to expand...

Why can't you use texts?

You are in America, correct? BY LAW, they must make reasonable accommodations. Communicating with you through text message is absolutely 100% covered under this language, and it won't cost them much, if anything at all, to implement it.
 
lovedhearts said:
Hm, these are all really good advice. Though, I'm not quite sure if I can use text. Haha, I can't carry around a big stick, though some days I would like too. How about, how to manage in big groups where a lot of people are talking, I have trouble keeping up with the conversation.
Click to expand...

I've never found anything that works 100% for large groups. The best solution I've come across is an assistive listening device that wirelessly connects to a number of remote microphones. The closer the microphone is to someone, the better sound quality. I once had a set up that used three microphones which I would evenly spread around the room. I would ask people to pick up & speak into the nearest mic (or get the person next to them to hold the mic).

This is the best device that I know of - Comfort Digisystem manufactured by Comfort Audio - but it's expensive:
Comfort Digisystem
 
lovedhearts said:
Hm, these are all really good advice. Though, I'm not quite sure if I can use text. Haha, I can't carry around a big stick, though some days I would like too. How about, how to manage in big groups where a lot of people are talking, I have trouble keeping up with the conversation.
Click to expand...

While it should not be necessary (only good manners) you could warn people only one person speaking at a time. I did that with my large group at U.S.P.S. If they don't comply, use that big stick.
 
Wirelessly posted (Backberry)

rolling7 said:
lovedhearts said:
Hm, these are all really good advice. Though, I'm not quite sure if I can use text. Haha, I can't carry around a big stick, though some days I would like too. How about, how to manage in big groups where a lot of people are talking, I have trouble keeping up with the conversation.
Click to expand...

While it should not be necessary (only good manners) you could warn people only one person speaking at a time. I did that with my large group at U.S.P.S. If they don't comply, use that big stick.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what the big stick is for... Keeping people in line. Speaking softly gets people to move closer to you.

Of course, if you are in charge of the meeting you can set some ground rules at the beginning. Be up front about the rules and be flexable.
 
yes I'm a manager. Yes, that sounds goods. Meetings stuff, that's good too. How about in social situations? We have open door policy at work, so I want people to fill comfortable coming to me.
 
lovedhearts said:
yes I'm a manager. Yes, that sounds goods. Meetings stuff, that's good too. How about in social situations? We have open door policy at work, so I want people to fill comfortable coming to me.
Click to expand...

Since you have an open door policy, you can have a little fun with it. Every time an employee comes in to speak with you, thank them loudly for stopping by and to please close the door. Have your little meeting and when they walk out loudly tell them to send in the next one. Then smile and go back about your work.

Well, I didn't say it was a good idea.

Seriously though, I would definitely close the door if it's noisy.

If you hide your deafness, then no one will bother to accommodate you. It should be a two way street and if you don't tell people then everything becomes a one way street. You decide what you need to do your job effectively.
 
Hi, I'm new here.

I try to be upfront with people. I've worked retail, and even a sales/graphic artist position before I had hearing aids. We all know hearing aids still don't make things perfect.

I just tell people upfront "I'm hearing impaired, so to better communicate with me, please face me, and I may ask you to speak a little louder for me...". Just upfront.
 
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