Communication Strategies for Surviving the Workplace or School

1. Communication Strategies for Surviving the Workplace or School Young Hearing Group November 15, 2011 6:00 – 7:30 PM

2. Speaker Valerie Stafford-Mallis Florida’s Department Of Health Office of Minority Health Training / Education Programs Coordinator Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

3. Today’s Program • Issues facing persons with hearing loss • What the law says about accommodations • Tools to help you overcome obstacles • Tips to make your life a little easier

4. www.hearingloss.org Contents: • Communication 101 • Applying for a Job • Interview Strategies • On the Job • Hearing Aids • Disability Law • Resources

5. Accommodation and the Law Not intended to be legal advice!!!!

6. Forerunner of the ADA This law applies to entities receiving Federal funds 1. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 504 – Removal of barriers that prevent equal access to goods and services Section 508 – Federal government electronic and IT must be equally accessible Three Main Federal Laws Protect Rights

7. 2. Americans with Disabilities Act Title I Employment Title II Government Entities Title III Private Entities and Businesses Title IV Telecommunications Virtually all entities, public and private More broad definition of what is a disability Three Main Federal Laws Protect Rights (cont.)

8. 3. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) More narrowly defined list of qualifying disabilities that must require Special Ed. Requires public schools to make available a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment appropriate to the individual’s needs Three Main Federal Laws Protect Rights (cont.)

9. What You Should Know… • Schools need to inform students/parents how to access accommodations • Failure to provide accommodations is discriminatory • Post-secondary institutions have obligations under ADA and Section 504, too

10. What You Should Know • Employers’ Reasonable Accommodation exemption for undue hardship is limited • Employers can not charge person requesting the accommodation • Hearing aids are not considered an accommodation employers have to provide • Everybody is different!

11. Bottom Line… • The ultimate goal - equal access to clear and effective communication • The logical consequence - understanding and being understood • Employers, state and local governments, and places serving the public - must provide appropriate auxiliary aids, accommodations and services to ensure equal access to effective communication

12. Bottom line (continued) • All are entitled to benefit equally from participation in public life by way of accessible buildings, auxiliary aids and services • Deaf/Hard of Hearing/Deaf-Blind persons must be given access to programs and activities equal to persons without disabilities. • Includes public and private entities.

13. SELF ADVOCACY

14. Where do the biggest challenges happen? Phone Meetings Social events What you need to do, but are unable to? Hint: Think job responsibilities and essential duties What accommodations are available to help overcome these challenges (think high & low tech options) How will you determine if the accommodation has been successful? Communication 101

15. Communication Tips • Do you know what helps YOU? • What helps one person may not help another! • Do you know how to acquire and use the help you need?

16. Applying for a Job • Only apply for jobs for which you are qualified • Gain experience through volunteer work • Develop new skills • Take advantage of training opportunities • Don’t insert hearing loss into your letter of inquiry or cover letter

17. Interview Strategies Decide on disclosure strategy after the interview is granted: • Do you need an accommodation? • Do you have your own accommodations? • Will you have to ask for one? • Is it a telephone interview? • Will there be multiple interviewers? • Will you need accommodations on the job?

18. Interview Strategies • Get comfortable with your hearing loss • Convince them they want you • Psych out your interviewer • Sell your: • Skills • Experience • Demonstrated competence • Self-assurance • Personality

19. On the Job • Know your needs • Know your personal challenging listening situations • Get a hearing-aid compatible (HAC) telephone • Written memos, notes, summaries of assignments and meetings • Don’t try to wing it!

20. How Could You Handle… • Contacting clients by phone? • Participating in a teleconference? • Making phone calls from the road? • Group meetings with co-workers? • Face-to-face meeting with boss? • Company picnic or Christmas party? • Working in a cubicle?

21. Reasonable Accommodation • Amplified Telephone • Captioning • Sign language interpreter, CART or Note-taker • Assistive listening devices • Flashing light for telephone • Reduced ambient noise • Office as opposed to cubicle

22. Hearing Aids • Not an ADA accommodation – they are YOUR responsibility to provide • They really can help most people • Some insurance policies cover some of the cost • Many policies do not • Companies are tightening their belts and reducing benefits

23. Have you been discriminated against? • Did you disclose your listening difficulty and/or hearing loss? • Did you point out what you needed in a calm and composed way (did you request an accommodation)? • Was an effort made to accommodate you? • Were you treated differently from a person without a disability, i.e., denied access to or participation in the activity / service ?

24. Remember… • If you yell or are nasty, people will not listen to you any better…they will just remember that you yelled and were nasty. • Meet with key authority figures about the difficulty you are experiencing. • Ask specifically for the kind of help you need. • Offer to help implement a solution. • If all else fails, take notes for future use…

25. RESOURCES

26. ADA http://www.ada.gov Section 508 Rehabilitation Act http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/Policy/IDEA/index.html Key Web-based Information

27. Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act Amendments 1998 Hearing Aid Compatibility Act 1998 TV Decoder Circuitry Act 1990 Telecommunications Act 1996 Workforce Investment Act 1998 Federal Government Procurement of Accessible information Technology Other Assistive Technology Laws: http://www.fctd.info/factsheet/atlaws

28. www.FCCDHH.org

29. www.hearingloss.org • Hearing Loss Basic Facts • Hearing Loss Symptoms • Hearing Loss Diagnosis • Hearing Loss Treatments • Living with Hearing Loss • Hearing Loss Causes and Prevention • Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants and Assistive Listening Devices

30. Hearing Loss Association of Sarasota

31. www.ALDA.org

32. http://www.fadcentral.org/index/index.html

33. www.agbell.org

34. www.fldsca.org

35. www.fldeafblind.org

36. Let’s Review!

37. Today’s Program • Issues facing persons with hearing loss • What the law says about accommodations • Tools to help you overcome obstacles • Tips to make your life a little easier

38. Questions????

39. Thank You Very Much!!! Valerie_Stafford-Mallis@doh.state.fl.us