Month: October 2015

Greetings!

So happy and excited to make this publication to introduce myself and being my first time to post this. My name is Michael AKINOSI, Deaf Community Advocate with Sign Shares. My duties and responsibilities center on Advocating for the Rights and Resources available at the disposal of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Deaf-blind, the cognitive speech-impaired and the Deaf senior citizen and children who are Deaf. It’s my duty to educate them and offer advice and resources that are available at their disposal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws. Most often, they face such obstacles as: problems getting qualified and Certified Interpreters for their communications needs under accessible communications for medical appointments, problems with law enforcement agencies, job interviews, etc.

It’s a great pleasure representing Sign Shares’ Advocacy Team and to provide the best and effective Support Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community in Texas, especially Houston. I am equally the President of Houston Black Deaf Advocates.

By Christina Goebel

Whether deaf employees choose sign, voice, or a combination of both to communicate, unless they they are deaf-blind, deaf employees hear with  their eyes. Some employees who are deaf-blind will also use the following techniques if they inform you that they use large print.

Here are 10 ways to open the door to enhanced communication with deaf and deafblind employees.

1. According to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf website, employers should “ensure upper-level management support.” If employees will need sign language interpreters, captioning or other supports, managers approving these costs need to know.
2. Providing written information, such as: organizational literature including flowcharts and training manuals, written itineraries, name tags with job titles for staff, links to the company website information, and outlines for training sessions will prepare employees with deafness or hearing loss for communication, according to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf website. Anything in writing helps deaf and partially deaf employees see communication. If employees also have vision loss with deafness, large print materials may be needed, or a manual interpreter if they don’t have enough residual vision.
3. According to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network website, “When using an interpreter, speak directly to the person and not to the interpreter.” Whether the employee uses a sign language interpreter, a manual interpreter (if they are deafblind), or a live captioner (if they have hearing loss but don’t know sign language well) to assist with communication, it is still the employee you hired and they are the one doing the thinking.
4. According to Modern Disability blog, employers should “choose well lit, quiet settings and keep your mouth visible” when communicating with individuals who are deaf or partially deaf. Many individuals with hearing loss or deafness read lips and facial and body expressions to help them gain meaning. Having better light enables them to do so efficiently. If they also have partial vision loss, good lighting becomes more essential.
5. “Gain the person’s attention before starting a conversation (i.e., tap the person gently on the shoulder or arm).” According to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network website, this is another strategy to provide accessible communication with employees. If you imagine that you needed to gain all employees’ attention, the room was loud with chatter and no one could hear you, then you might wave your hands as a visual signal, flicker the lights, or tap someone on the shoulder to help you gain attention. These strategies also work with people who aren’t receiving auditory stimuli like other staff members. Ask your employee about the best method for getting his or her attention.

   

6. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network website recommends to “look directly at the person when speaking.” Plan ahead how employees with deafness or partial deafness will participate in the communication when you turn your back to write on a board or walk around the room and they can’t read your lips, facial expressions, or body language. If you plan a meeting with necessary movement, consider using an interpreter or captioner to assist your employee during this process.
7. According to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf website, if sharing videos, provide videos with captioning, or ensure that the television used has captions activated. Ensure that captions are large enough to be seen from the distance where staff will be seated. Providing seating near the front of the room assists with picking up sound, and reading lips and captions.
8. According to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network website, “Speak in a normal tone.” While it seems illogical to speak in a normal tone to someone with hearing loss or deafness, hearing loss affects people differently. Some people with hearing loss are sensitive to sound and loud noises may in fact hurt them to hear. Hearing your voice is part of their communication experience. Reading your lips, facial expressions, and body language helps them to gather meaning. In some cases, all of those cues together may not be enough, and an interpreter or captioner may be necessary during extended communications.
9. According to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network website, “Never touch or distract a service dog without first asking the owner.” Service dogs are working animals and getting them in the habit of being distracted could mean life or death for their owner, who needs the animal at attention for their safety.
10. Ask your employee which telecommunications method they use, which might be a captioned telephone, videophone, TTY, or mobile phone with text. Then ask which numbers to use. If your employee hasn’t discovered a telecommunications method yet, you can offer them this resource from North Carolina Health and Human Services that discusses telecommunication devices and provides links to learn more. Some telecommunications devices are provided at no charge to the individual.

Hopefully, this list of ways to integrate your new employees with hearing loss or deafness has expanded your communications knowledge and given you new ideas for communicating with all staff.

Don’t forget, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one in eight Americans has hearing loss in both ears, meaning that for every eight employees you have in a meeting, at least one may need communication supports to fully participate in meetings and training sessions.

By David Bass, Staff Writer

Guess what? Yep! It’s that time! Job Fair and Workshop at Lone Star College – CyFair for ASL interpreters. We will be at the Job Fair on October 16th from 5pm to 7pm and workshop from 7pm to 9pm at LSC-CyFair Conference Center. Come on over to our booth and meet us!

For more information, feel free to go LSC’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/547824122032185/ , LSC website or contact us.

We hope to see you there!

By David Bass, Staff Writer

I know this blog is not related to our services but it’s a nice break to have something different once in awhile.

As we gather together at restaurants, pubs, friend’s home, and our own home to watch last night’s (Wednesday, 14 October 2015) Postseason baseball playoff game between the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals. We were disappointed with the result of Game 4 the other day and it was the last chance for Astros to win Game 5 or go home. Unfortunately, we lost the critical game. It was a great and exciting season for the Astros after having terrible losing seasons in the last few years, having lost more than 100 games three seasons straight before finally breaking the 100 losses last season. This year is the first winning season since 2008. It was great year for the Astros but it is far from perfect. Everything went well until Astros outfielder, George Springer, got hit by pitch on his left wrist that forced him to go on disabled list for about two and a half months. After that, things went south. Several problems came up, especially the road woes. Jose Altuve, rookie Carlos Correa, and Springer are the most constant batters on the team but with Springer out for two months and a half, things slowly went down because it was not enough constant batters on the lineups, and the Astros ended up in second place. Fortunately, Astros managed to grab the Wild Card spot and played in playoff against KC Royals for American League Division Series (ALDS). Also, Astros did not have enough strong and constant relief pitchers on the roster. From what I have observed over the season that the Astros did not have enough constant batters and relief pitchers to help them maintain high in first place throughout the year as it was too close for my comfort. In my humble opinion, the Astros would need to add or trade for stronger constant batters and relief pitchers during the off-season and hopefully, would have better chance to go all the way next year.

Tips for Communicating with Employees who are Deaf/Partially deaf
By Christina Goebel

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf has published a booklet, “Tips for Communicating with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Employees”
(http://www.ntid.rit.edu/nce/employers/tips-comm-deaf-hoh-employees ). Some of the strategies in the booklet include:
• facilitating lip reading by pronouncing words more clearly,
• having the individual with deafness or hearing loss sitting next to the primary speaker at meetings
• having one person speak at a time during meetings, and
• communicating messages such as announcements directly to the individual.
The institute also lists a plan for integration into the workplace, beginning with pre-employment and extending to on the job supports (http://www.ntid.rit.edu/nce/employers/working-with-deaf ). Some pre-employment tips include: providing written literature about the company and the meeting itinerary prior to the meeting, while orientation activities include hiring an interpreter during the first day and providing captioned videos. Ask new employees which communication methods they prefer, since there are a variety of communication styles used by people with deafness or hearing loss.

On the job suggestions include:
• asking the person how to get their attention,
• using visual cues,
• assigning buddies for emergency situations,
• using written communication or texts during emergencies, and
• making sure employees with deafness and hearing loss are included in conversations, breaks, and social events.
Phones that allow for using sign language or captioning exist and many are provided free-of-charge to individuals with deafness or hearing loss. If you notice your employee is struggling with telecommunications, you may find resources to share with them. If your employee uses sign language, they may already have a telecommunications service they use. If not, here is a list of service providers for Internet and Video Relay service providers (https://www.puc.texas.gov/relaytexas/relay/InternetVideo.aspx ). Some employees, generally those who speak, might prefer having someone to type what speakers say, and they might use some of these free captioning telephones (http://www.agbell.org/Document.aspx?id=1691 ).
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation Network, or JAN, provides extensive information and resources regarding communicating with employees (http://askjan.org/media/Hearing.html ). One of JAN’s most useful resources is their free, live assistance. You can post questions with JAN consultants at this link (http://askjan.org/JANonDemand.htm ) or call them at (800)526-7234(800)526-7234 FREE (Voice) or (877)781-9403(877)781-9403 FREE (TTY).
While most of the responsibility for communication is often placed upon the individual with deafness or hearing loss, don’t let that stop your employees from learning sign language via YouTube, website, or popular apps (http://mashable.com/2014/04/21/how-to-sign/#wNhbOov6wZk ) or by texting, emailing, instant messaging, or handwriting notes, depending on the needs of your employee. These alternative methods of communication are helpful when environments are loud or during emergencies. When all employees take active part in ensuring effective communication, everyone wins.

Audiology Awareness Month
By Christina Goebel

Audiology Awareness Month is celebrated during October. Audiologists are health care professionals who evaluate hearing loss.

The American Academy of Audiology has created downloadable documents related hearing loss (http://www.audiology.org/publications-resources/consumer-information/fact-sheets ), including “Assistive Listening Devices” and “Age-Related Hearing Loss.”

Not sure if you have hearing loss? Try the academy’s “Hearing Health Quick Test” (http://audiology-web.s3.amazonaws.com/migrated/Fact%20Sheets%20-%20Quick%20Test.pdf_53998b2f4e9c58.60227146.pdf ).

The academy has also created PowerPoint for various audiences, including adults, different school levels, and physicians (http://www.audiology.org/public-awareness/powerpoint-presentations ).