Discriminating against the Deaf

Miss-Delectable

Miss-Delectable

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Discriminating against the Deaf - WeAreCentralPA.com

A local man wants to serve his community as a police officer but the state says it's against the law just because he wears a hearing aid.

Bill Furman had passed his physical exams and was moving on in the academy to become a police officer. When the director told him he couldn't continue training and wear his hearing aids. He says his hearing aids are no different than police officers who wear glasses to see better. And he's turning to the courts to make the state hear him out.

Furman is a Parking and Animal Control officer in Bellefonte. But it's been a life-long dream to be a police officer. He has pictures of himself wearing his father’s police uniform when he was a child.

Furman's also deaf. But you wouldn't know it to talk to him. His hearing aids fit in his ear canal and you really can't see them when you look at his face. But right now those hearing aids are keeping him from living out his dream.

The State Police runs the Officer Training Academy which certifies people to become municipal officers. And Act 120 says that you can't use a hearing aid when qualifying.

Furman says that's not fair. And the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania is backing him up. They filed a lawsuit in U. S. District Court Wednesday that says it's not only unfair, it's in direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And they're hoping to change state law.

Furman wants to serve as a police officer in Bellefonte, the community that hired him four years ago.

There's also a bill in the House of Representatives that would also change the state law, but it's been stalled in committee.
 
Ignorance is as ignorance does.

If an officer is that stupid when it comes to the deaf community, he has no business wearing that badge, imho.

I hope he wins the case and follows his dream.

Yiz
 
yizuman said:
Ignorance is as ignorance does.

If an officer is that stupid when it comes to the deaf community, he has no business wearing that badge, imho.

I hope he wins the case and follows his dream.

Yiz
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Don't forget that we had a debate about someone who want to be a firefighter so bad, but had to turn down. There is always risk. I think both of the HOH police officer and HOH firefighter are aware about the danger and just want to serve in the community to help save people's lives. I do hope if that is what the HOH want to become a police officer very badly as it is his dream and by god, let us hope he win the case. Every one of us have dreams of what we want to be but turn down because of our deafness. That is not fair. It just hurt when we are not accepted. :mad:
 
yizuman said:
Dude, doesn't EVERYTHING have to be solved with a CI? :roll:

Yiz
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I don't think he meant get a CI i think he meant what if the guy had a CI would it be any different..and I think prob not as if you get a CI knocked off your kinda SOL a CIC aid is less likely to come out of an ear than a CI in the line of duty
 
AliciaM said:
I don't think he meant get a CI i think he meant what if the guy had a CI would it be any different..and I think prob not as if you get a CI knocked off your kinda SOL a CIC aid is less likely to come out of an ear than a CI in the line of duty
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yes, I was wondering how much discrimination if someone who is deaf with a CI.
 
It's the same with the military. Deaf people are exempt from joining the military. Agencies (police, fire, military, etc.) who turn down deaf people because of their deafness do so for the safety of the applicant. Why put an officer or a soldier in the line of duty who has greater potential of getting shot and killed because they don't hear the "suspect" coming around the corner, for example? Doesn't make me like being turned down, but I understand why.
 
:gpost:
AlleyCat said:
It's the same with the military. Deaf people are exempt from joining the military. Agencies (police, fire, military, etc.) who turn down deaf people because of their deafness do so for the safety of the applicant. Why put an officer or a soldier in the line of duty who has greater potential of getting shot and killed because they don't hear the "suspect" coming around the corner, for example? Doesn't make me like being turned down, but I understand why.
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:gpost:
 
Something thats being overlooked here, theres other positions in those agencies that someone whos hoh/deaf can do. Ive been hoh most of my life and now have a CI in the left ear and was still a firefighter and now I have over 15 years in public service even with a hearing problem and a CI as a firefighter/traffic officer and admin and the CI was just implanted last February.
 
He shouldn't attempt for positions like vice or patrol, for obvious reasons AlleyCat stated. It's the only reason why deaf are exempt from being able to become apart of the main divisions in the military, FBI, police, or any government agency where use of force and hearing is required. I curiously tried an application for the marines in the past and got rejected for the same reasons.

There are alternative fields he can try for. Just like ncff's saying. K-9 unit, homicide, forensics, internal affairs, DEA office/investigating affairs, etc. I am en-route through planning for one of these related positions in the coming years.

Even then volunteering can work if he just wants to serve. I've been volunteering at my city's local sheriff's department without issues.
 
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