Suggestions for a hard of hearing woman?

[recoveringrepublican]

I'm posting this here to get more advice (also, I trying to save money, so haven't donated and can't post in the deaf/hard of hearing forum yet). Mods, if this is the wrong place please excuse me.

I'm 28. I'm married with two kids (5 and 6). I started loosing my hearing when I was 17 (I'm thankful, as I found out while trying to enlist in the Army). It was just a slight loss at the time. Finding jobs was no problem. I put off college when I became pregnant. I was 21. I became a stay at home mom. When I was 26 I decided I needed a job. By then my loss was profound. I could no longer do any work involving a phone, and with no real skills, my options were limited. Luckily I found a civilian job with USPS. It was all typing. It paid well, and even though I was not a career employee, I had annual leave and benefits if I needed them through the union. Unfortunately my job was consolidated and my plant closed.

I'm now working with vocational rehab to find a new job. Things have changed and I don't really have to work, but I want to work, even just stocking things at Target. However, I would like to get trained in something that would bring in better money in the future. There might come a time when I can't count on my husband's income. Remember, I can not do anything involving the phone. Hearing aids help, but in order for my brain to "hear" I have to see your lips.

What are some vocations that pay decent, but don't involve the phone? I don't care how long it would take, or really the money, with a part time job, my family could swing local college tuition. I asked my VR counselor, she could only give me two, medical coding and radiology. I would like more options if possible.

Thanks!

[rhiannon55]

1. Proofreading might work for you.

Do you have a printing/publishing company in your town? You might try proofreading.

[recoveringrepublican]

3. Thanks, I'm going to save that one for a friend. For myself, lol,

I have trouble just proofreading my own posts! I have a deaf friend who that might be perfect for!

[cdsilv]

2. Computer software development.....

...otherwise known as computer programming. It takes alot of training, but you can do it.

(I'm trained as a s/w developer, but work in sales support as a systems engineer). I'm not deaf, but do have a deaf daughter who is 18, and will be working with TX DARS for vocational skills.

PM me if you want more info....

[Lance_Boyle]

4. in addition to development/programming,

sysadmin work is plenty accessible for people with hearing difficulties. We're pretty phone-phobic in my shop - please submit your support requests by email! We tell people it's so that we have a "paper trail" of "conversations," but it's really because phone keyboards don't adhere to the familiar QWERTY layout, and confuse us. ;-)

[recoveringrepublican]

5. lmao, that does sound like my kind of job.

To be honest, unless it's family or close friends, I tell everyone, "just email me", because sometimes it's to damn exhausting to listen to people for me. Now off to google sysadmin! lol

[DavidDvorkin]

6. You should post this question in the deaf/hard of hearing area of DU

It's a low-traffic discussion area, but people who read it might have suggestions.

[recoveringrepublican]

8. I can't post until I donate. Things are a little tight since I was laid off. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

10. Looks like you have a star.

[recoveringrepublican]

11. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I promise, as soon as I find a job I will give two stars to someone else!

[Arkansas Granny]

12. You're welcome.

[Samurai_Writer]

7. Technical writing

It's a great-paying job and there is demand in pretty much any city in the US. I've been a technical writer for 18 years, and using the phone is NOT necessary. I use email, jabber, and netmeeting almost exclusively to communicate with the subject matter experts for the documents that I'm developing.

There are colleges that offer degrees in technical writing now. Also, learn FrameMaker, it's the industry standard tool.

[recoveringrepublican]

9. Where in Florida are you? I'm in the St. Pete/Clearwater area.

Thanks for the info. Off to google some more.

[Triana]

14. I was going to mention tech writing...

..I know a couple people who are writers/editors/proofreaders. It's in demand - particularly in high-tech areas but other places too, it seems.

[Emit]

13. Did your VR Counselor do any vocational testing with you?

When I worked at VR as a Counselor, often, the first thing I did was refer clients for assessment in the form of work preference, personality profiles (as it relates to possible employment areas) and some other forms of testing to determine not only their interests but their aptitudes. That would then give the client some options to explore when seeking career choices.


Have they done this with you?

[recoveringrepublican]

15. So far it's been mostly filling out paperwork

I found out in Aug that I was loosing my job. In Oct I made my first appointment, but since I was still working (my last day wasn't until late Feb 07) she could only get me new hearing aids. I saw her again last week and we discussed what I wanted to do. They won't pay for any training if they can find me a job first. I wanted to be a nurse, and I know there are deaf nurses, but I no longer feel confidant enough in what I hear to go down that path. I really DO enjoy working, mainly because both my kids are in school full time and I am going out of my mind. But I also don't really want to be in the situation again, not being able to hear with no skills. At this point it doesn't really matter to me what I do.

Since I'm only looking for a job to pay for school she put down Data Entry on my paper (sorry can't remember what it is called). She told me that it was just procedure and not necessarily what I will be doing. I have unemployment until Aug. I'd love to be in the medical field in some way.

[spooky3]

16. accounting

[LiberalFighter]

17. Do phones with volume control work for you?

If standard volume control phones don't see if others will. I use the XL-50 which increases sound 200 times (48 db) louder. I'm not sure that is correct about it being 200 times louder. But it works for me.

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If you can almost use the volume control phones you find for pay phones then this should work. I turn my hearing aid off so I can hear better on it.

Your VR counselor should discuss with you your legal rights as a disabled person under the Voc Rehab Law of 1973 and the ADA. Mainly that an employee must make reasonable accommodations for the disabled.

As for other jobs not requiring the use of a phone... If you do well enough with your hearing-aid interacting with people I don't think it should be a problem. You have the advantage of being able to cover up the hearing aid.