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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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