Deaf people are very hard workers and enjoy keeping busy rather than staying at home on disability benefits. But while factories post help wanted notices and deaf people apply for the jobs, none are hired. A deaf person with outstanding machine operation experience is likely to be rejected. Many deaf workers are given heavier workloads than hearing co-workers. They are taken advantage of. And a small mistake for which a hearing co-worker gets a warning, gets a deaf person fired without a single warning. Workplaces do not train a deaf person for the kind of work they deserve, but give them work that does not pay enough.
Some deaf people graduate without proper educations and wish that the school could have done better. It becomes a struggle when they are unable to find a translator and we must use paper and pen to communicate.
We could achieve many major careers with degrees if there were technologic access for deaf people. For example, for someone holding a medical assistant diploma, a job in a medical office would involve many phone calls. But there is no accesses for us to be able to fulfill the position even though there is technology to support our communication needs. Some offices refuse to hire even deaf person with degrees.
There is a program to teach infants – but not deaf infants – to read. Perhaps the company chooses to keep the deaf infants in the dark. People are taught that deaf people cannot achieve, cannot work, will bend over backward for you, so it is OK to walk over them and keep them down. Some people think it is OK to abuse deaf people’s rights, and heap blame and suffering upon them without conscience.
Many hearing parents think it is OK to fix the deafness with cochlear implants for deaf infants and children without thinking twice about consequences. Deaf parents with a healthy baby with good hearing might be upset if the baby were not deaf like them. To consider surgical intervention would upset hearing people. These are things we face every day and want people to understand.
Police officers are not educated about the rights of deaf persons. They take a hearing person’s side even if the deaf person called for the help they deserve and did not get it from the police officers, who lose their patience while they trying to communicate with gestures and end up doing harm to deaf people.
In a small town a deaf person was driving a used vehicle with a valid temporary plate and was pulled over by the police. The officer spoke nonstop while she used the gesture “I am deaf and I don’t speak,” pointing to her ears and shaking her head “no.” The officer grew impatient and issued seven citations.
Regarding health-care reform for low-incomes: no deaf person over 21 would be eligible for a new hearing aid or ear molds. (But I would see a vocational rehabilitation caseworker to request the help paying for the hearing aids.)
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows doctors to refuse a request for an interpreter at the appointments with the deaf patients. That presents a huge problem because some deaf people have a problem reading and writing English. They can communicate through American Sign Language, not through paper and pen. Imagine yourself as a deaf person who cannot write and read English well and in this situation. And other places have the same rights to refuse the request for interpreters. That is unfair. We want to see it to be fixed.
Some states are way behind with the ADA, and many small towns across America have no knowledge of it. There are many deaf people living in small towns.
We want people in America to have a clear picture of the deaf culture so things will better for us. Can you shed some light on major issues that we face every day? It would bring a huge relief to deaf people.
HEATHER POHLIT, Adairsville
Hello. I am Heather Pohlit. I am writing a letter to request the help on issues that we, deaf citizens, face every day. I am deaf myself. I notice that there are major issues going on out in America. We are voicing out about the major issues all over America. There are a lot of discrimination going on toward us and people are not educated enough about deaf cultures and they are still believing that deaf people cannot do anything. We, deaf people, cries out that we can do anything except hear. We all are the same inside and outside. I see the worst out of people when it comes to “deaf”.
There is major discrimination against deaf people everywhere in America. I would like to mention the places but I do not want to write a long list of the places; however, I can just tell you the same thing that happened, which is happening everyday that we face everywhere. A warehouse hired a deaf man and he worked at the warehouse for almost few months. In the end, when he made a small mistake, the kind mistake that the hearing co-worker could have made, and he got fired without a single warning. However, the hearing co-worker just get a warning for the same kind mistake. That does not make any sense but it is actually discrimination. I also notice that most of workplaces would not train any deaf person to do any kind of work that they deserve, yet they are given the work that does not pay enough money that they deserve. For example, a deaf person with outstanding experience with machine operating applied for the machine operation position and end up with rejection for not be able to hear. That shows the discrimination.
Many factories refuse hire the deaf workers due to being unable to hear. Even when they posted the help wanted to hire more people to work at some of factories, some deaf people tried to apply for the job to work there and none of them are hired. Deaf workers are very hard workers and enjoy to keep themselves busy than stay at home while they live on the disability benefits. That shows discrimination.
I would like to share this with all of you. I have been notice that many deaf workers, includes myself, are being overworked and given more workloads than rest of hearing workers in the same field. It shows that they are taking advantage of deaf co-workers. It is discrimination and uneducated enough about the deaf cultures.
We want to speak out about the institutions for the deaf and their educations. Some institutions do not provide proper education. Some deaf people who graduated from specified institution with improper education stated that they wish that their school could have provided them better education than they should. That shows uneducated about the deaf cultures. I find that very sad and struggle for us because we, deaf citizens, use the paper and pen to communicate when they are unable to find someone to translate for them.
Deaf people can achieve many major careers with degrees. Unfortunately, most of the careers do not provide the technology access to deaf people, which is required for some kind of positions. For example, a deaf person with Medical Assisting diploma tries to get that job to work for any medical offices that involves many phone calls, but there are no accesses for that person to be able to fulfill the position. Now that the technology have improved to support our needs for communication. Some offices refuse to hire any deaf person with degrees. That shows discrimination and uneducated.
The company that makes the new program for infants to learn how to read, they do not make the program to be fit for deaf infants. Perhaps, some people in that company could know about deaf infants choose to keep the deaf infants in dark. That shows uneducated about deaf culture.
Some people were taught that deaf people could not achieve, cannot work, can be bend backward for them, and it is okay for them to walk over the deaf people with their powers to ensure that they are stay low. Some people think it is okay to abuse deaf people’s rights. Some people think it is okay to place blames on deaf people for their wrongdoing actions without conscience and deaf people suffer for it. Many hearing parents think it is okay to fix the deafness with cochlear implants by put them on deaf infants/children without think twice about the future consequences, which is bad thing for us to face every day. About that part, we want them to understand how we feel. For example, a deaf parent just had a normal and healthy baby. It has a good hearing and they felt upset because it is not deaf like them. Therefore, they decide to have a baby to become deaf surgically. That would upset hearing people. That is how we felt. Think vice versa. That shows uneducated about the deaf culture and discrimination.
We know that most of police officers are not educated enough about deaf people and their rights. They would just get on hearing person’s side and arrest deaf people, even though a deaf person calls for the help and did not get a help they deserve from the police officer. I have experienced that once long time ago. I notice that when police officers lose their patience while they try to communicate with gestures, they end up do the harm toward deaf people. I find that unthinkable mistake. That shows uneducated. Communication is the important for all of us. I can tell you what has happened to a deaf person who was pull over by the traffic police officer in a small town in one of the states. She just bought a used vehicle, and the temporary plate is valid. Somehow, she was pull over by the traffic police officer. He spoke to her and keeps on with talking. She used the gesture “I am deaf and I don’t speak” as she pointed to her ears and shook “no”. The police officer grew impatience with her so he issued seven tickets. That shows discrimination.
I have been hearing many the same things from my friends in several states. I understand that the governments are just trying to budget their allowance to cover the health care for the low-income people. I want to be specific on that part. I see that no deaf adults over 21 could be able to receive the new hearing aids and ear molds to rely on to hear. All they have to do: see the Vocational Rehabilitation caseworker to request the help to pay for the hearing aids. That shows uneducated enough.
I notice that the section (I could not remember what section it is) in American with Disabilities Act do not support the rights on interpreters. It states that the doctors have rights to refusal the request for interpreter to be present at the appointments with the deaf patients. That part is the huge problem because some deaf people have problem with read and writing English. They can communicate through American Sign Language (ASL), not through paper and pen. Where are their rights to have interpreter to be present for communication reasons? What if one of them has major health issue and being denied for interpreter request, unable to understand what situation that he/she is in? Try to imagine yourself as a deaf person who cannot write and read English well and go through this situation. Some places have the same rights to refusal the request for interpreters. That is unfair to us. We want to see it to be fixed.
I notice that some states are way behind in American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Many of small towns all across America have no knowledge of ADA. Many deaf people live in small towns. They have frustrations with many of places because many places are unaware of ADA. That shows uneducated.
We really want to see people in America to be educated about deaf culture better and clear because there are many of us want things to get better for us. Can you shed some light on major issues that we, deaf people, face and suffer from it every day? It would bring a huge relief to deaf people. I thank you for taking your time to read this letter.
Heather Pohlit
Adairsville, GA
I understand your point. Not all of deaf people are like that way. Yes, you are right about the parental attitudes. It is entire up to their parents who taught them different. Not just one ruined apple can ruin the entire apple tree it grew on, it takes another apple to show that there are some good apples on the tree. Vice versa with deaf people. Likewise, all of us are like as the apple tree.
Main reason why I wrote the letter: I have been listening to many of deaf people's complaints about the kind of treatments they received from hearing people and I have experienced many of things.
PublicPeach is right about TTY/TDD. It does require reading and writing in English well. Unfortunately, many of schools that provide improper education to the deaf students, they do the LOUSY job. Yes, there is a deaf school nearby, in Cave Springs. Communities nearby should be aware about the deaf community, culture, and their rights. Unfortunately, many of us feel like we are being victimized.
I urge everyone around here to recognize the major issues that we all face everywhere across America. Things need to be lift for our, deaf relatives', and deaf friends' sakes. We were born or became deaf for higher reasons. I highly encourage many of you to make things to get better for us. This letter is the first step.
I threatened a doctor's office with going to the ADA and the newspaper after he informed me that he did not have to accept my brother as a patient due to his Deafness. His reasoning was that he could not communicate directly with him (nothing to do with any medical issues). I was there to provide interpretation, and explained to the doctor that my brother had used an interpretor his entire life, and could communicate quite effectively that way. He still refused, but later realized just what a problem he may have caused. (I'm sure it was when I mentioned calling RN-T!) I received a phone call from the director of the very large, multi-disciplined practice (whose name you see all over Rome). She apologized for this doctor's "mistake" and urged me to bring him back, as they would be honored to have us. Sometimes being an outspoken, assertive woman is a good thing, even if I was escorted outside!
I am proud to have Heather in my family as well.
I suggest the RN-T do a series of articles about local Deaf people to provide some insight into Deaf culture. (The series about women in criminal justice was fantastic!) There really is so much more we can do, starting with educating the public on the needs, technologies, and culture of the Deaf. For example, most hearing people I speak with have no idea what a VP (video phone) is, even the cable representative that was installing the internet service for a deaf couple recently. Before people start screaming "costs", VP's are FREE to the Deaf. It utilizes high-speed internet and a television. It eases communication and is a great tool for deaf people that do not read or write well. (TTY's require reading, writing, and typing skills).
Most hearing people that are unfamiliar with Deaf people can not name even one aspect or characteristic of Deaf culture, and in my experience, even when it is explained to them, they have trouble understanding it. Having Georgia School for the Deaf so close to us should bring greater education for our community, as some will decide to reside here, if they can find employment.
I can attest that all that Heather has written is true, as I have seen it myself many, many times. The only course of progress lies with education.