HLAA Convention 2010 Special: Workshops # 5

[Guest guest]

NVRC News - July 10, 2010

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Job Search and Employment: Its Clear Communication is Critical!

By Bonnie O'Leary,

This workshop was given by R. Macko and Ellen Tait. Mr. Macko is

the Director for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) Center

on Employment, and Ms. Tait is the Assistant Director. The Center offers a

program " Working Together with Employers. "

NTID is one of the eight colleges of the Rochester Institute of Technology

(RIT), an international leader in technical and career education for deaf

and hard of hearing people. The NTID Center on Employment assists hard of

hearing and deaf NTID/RIT students with job searches, offers orientation and

training programs for employers, and information on the website for them.

The Center also arranges for employers to recruit on-campus, post jobs, and

request resumes. There will be a job fair in October open to all job

seekers who are deaf and hard of hearing. Because NTID receives funding

from the Dept. of Labor, this job fair is open to anyone with a hearing

loss, not just NTID students. Website information can be found at

www.rit.edu/ntid/coops/jobs/

Ms. Tait and Mr. Macko then opened the workshop up for discussion and

comment as they focused on different points of the job search process.

First they stressed the communication goal, which is to focus on skills,

knowledge and experience you have to offer and clearly communicate your

worth during every step of the job search process. It is important to

convince the employer that you are worth the money they invest to hire

quality employees and be clear about how the employer will benefit from your

skills.

During this process, the question becomes when to disclose your hearing loss

(or not!). A lively discussion ensued, and the opinions were varied. They

include: it's a personal choice, find out who is interviewing (the

gatekeeper? the boss?), and the reminder that some employers don't like

surprises.

The first Case Study concerned a potential employer who wants to conduct an

interview over the telephone, and you don't hear well on the phone if the

voice is quiet or if the person speaks too quickly or has an accent. So we

are faced with unknowns! Again, opinions varied. Some thought it was

important to be up front about the hearing loss as a way of showing

independence and a willingness to make the employer comfortable with the

situation. Others thought that might put the employer on the defensive.

And still others thought these were opportunities to advocate for ourselves.

Ms. Tait outlined the pros and cons of this disclosure. If you are the

applicant, it can help you describe how you will do job tasks with

accommodations, and disclosure can avoid embarrassment or discomfort in the

interview process. Working against you is the possibility that you will be

perceived in a negative or discriminatory manner for an interview or hire.

There were also pros and cons from the employer's perspective. Interviewers

are likely to pay more attention to and provide accommodation for

communication. They will be more prepared when you begin work to meet the

accessibility requirements. Some employers, such as IBM and of course the

Federal Government, view hiring someone with a disability as a way to

increase diversity. Small companies, on the other hand, might not. If a

disability is hidden and disclosed later, employers may feel deceived and

misinformed, and they may be reluctant to use funds to provide

accommodations.

Some guiding principles for job seekers in the disclosure process include

describing your qualifications, explaining and demonstrating how you can

perform the essential functions of the job, being prepared to talk about

possible modifications that will enable you to do the work, and be more

productive, in a positive way.

Certainly if there are safety issues surrounding your hearing loss, you

should disclose. And you should ask yourself if this job can be done with

or without a disability.

The workshop moved on to another Case Study. This one involved an employee

who has asked co-workers to face her when they speak to her, but they keep

forgetting. What to do? Most of us at the workshop agreed that the best

way to handle this is with patience and humor, not scolding. Continue to

educate, educate, educate. Continue to ask co-workers to look directly at

you, speak slowly and clearly, repeat or rephrase, spell or write down

words, and clarify specific parts of the communication.

The final part of the workshop was dedicated to requesting accommodations on

the job. For group communication, consider what accommodations will work

best for you and the employer for the meeting. Request an agenda and visual

aids, as well as notes or minutes. Ask for best seating arrangements so you

can hear what is being said and see the speakers' faces, verify questions or

information, and debrief after the meeting.

In general, it's important to make requests for accommodations as far in

advance as possible, and in writing so there's a record of it. Explain how

they are to be used to make you a more effective employee. Be clear about

why one accommodation is preferred over another. Remember that requests can

be denied due by some employers to undue burden.

Here are accommodations that are commonly used by RIT students: email, text

messaging, captioning, and the computer. Relay services used include VRS,

on-line, and with voice carry over (VCO). Interpreting includes on-site

interpreters, video remote interpreting (VRI), and teleconferencing.

To learn more, you can contact Ellen directly at met6062@...

or visit the website at www.ntid.rit.edu.

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