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The goals for this workshop include identifying common communication challenges encountered in the workplace.  We’ll talk about the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it impacts employment.  We’ll then talk about effective strategies and techniques to address communication in a group setting.  We’ll also discuss technology solutions that are available to help us in the workplace.
The workshop is organized in two parts.  First we’ll focus on the problem.  What are the myths and assumptions about our hearing loss that torture us in the workplace environment. How do we let people know not only that we have a hearing loss, but how to make communication easier for all of us.  What are the challenges in the office where your communication is typically one on one.  What are the challenges in a meeting where you not only have a group setting, but also group dynamics.
The second part is about coping strategies.  What does the Americans with Disabilities Act say about employment for people with hearing loss.  What kind of strategies can you use with the telephone.  What kind of strategies can you use with the building and conference rooms.  We’ll also talk about solutions that can be designed using technology.  You can take the information from this part and ambush the exhibitors here in the convention hall!
The difficult part about making your workplace accessible is that there are so many things that need to be accommodated.  Sometimes your boss thinks you are all set if you have a TTY in your office.  But that doesn’t help at all when you go to a mandatory training session.  The TTY isn’t going to let me know that the fire alarm is ringing.  We need different strategies for different situations.
Sometimes you think it is difficult being the trail blazer.  You feel like you are always the first person requesting accommodation for hearing loss.  Wouldn’t it be easier if there had been someone before you.  Not necessarily.  What if their accommodations don’t work for you?  I try to be careful in explaining that I can use a sign language interpreter because I happen to sign.  I explain that many hard of hearing people do not sign and I even simplify it and say that I sign because my sister is Deaf.  But I know that the next person will probably have to explain why they need captioning.
Not only are there variations for me in different settings, but there is variation within the same setting.  I have trouble explaining why I can talk on the phone but I want remote captioning for a teleconference.  I have trouble explaining why I can participate in the weekly meeting with just my hearing aid but I want extra equipment for for the all-day customer review.  It is hard to explain that “it depends.”
The first issue is the length of the meeting.  I explain that hearing is an active sport for me.  Yes, I can run for 20 minutes on the treadmill, but that doesn’t mean I can sign up for the Boston Marathon.  Just because I can listen for an hour without dropping from exhaustion doesn’t mean I didn’t take an aspirin as soon as I left the meeting. 
When I start a problem I need a conference microphone to be able to understand anything at the meeting.  Within a month or two, I can work with my hearing aid.  I explain that when I get used to people’s voices I can understand them easier.  I also explain that when I learn who does all the talking, I find a better place to sit.
I have worked on a variety of programs involving British, Australian, and even Russian scientists.  I have to work very hard to understand a new voice, and an accent makes it almost impossible.  I learned early to request extra accommodations when there was an accent involved.
One trick I learned with this variation was to set it up as a set of rules.  This is an example of what I wrote up for my HR people on my accommodation needs.