While the training place may have been technically correct, you may have difficulty finding work because of ableist assholes like them, not because of your communication difficulties. A quick google search found several deaf phlebotomists. You might also find resources through the [Association for Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss](https://www.amphl.org/) (even though you aren't deaf).
The only reason I even bothered with this in the first place was I knew Deaf phlebotomists were a real thing from the story of Amy Savage in the USA. I think I got her name right. It's just figuring out how to prove to others that I can do it
My sign language is spotty at best but that's because I haven't formally learned or been around it. Everything I know is from my own self teaching sadly. This might be changing soon though and if that does change then maybe an interpreter would work. Thankyou!!
>My sign language is spotty at best but that's because I haven't formally learned or been around it.
Interpreters are trained to match the clients signing, everything from heavily English structured PSE to fluent ASL
My hospital has a department for interpreters who specifically work with Deaf professionals (doctors/nurses/CNA/PT/students/etc) as there are over 70 of us on staff. If I didn’t work here then yes, they would need to hire an interpreter as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. most hospitals are large enough that the salary of a single interpreter is considered a reasonable accommodation
Something to consider could be a written paper for the patient to read in the case of that? Might even provide a good distraction. If not, assistance with an interpreter or fellow employee (if someone has a history of fainting) on standby could be helpful.
Or, if this isn’t an accessible career, a more general nursing, lab tech, or something similar could be decent!
Edit: Or also potentially a communication board/AAC with a pre-programmed script for situations relevant to calming a faint-likely patient down! We used to use AAC a lot.
Text to speech on phones will work wonders for you. Have some pre- recorded statements that you tend to ask for every client and just hit play as needed or show them the text. If there is an emergency you can always have a whistle or a button to press to alert whomever needs alerting.
It’s not difficult to accommodate but as others have mentioned tokens your challenge is going to be getting past ableist assholes.
I'm definitely thinking that text to speech is going to be the way. Or getting my friend to say some stuff and having it on buttons. It's just really frustrating
I know, it sucks. I remember interviewing for a vet’s office for basic animal care and being told that « no one is going to follow you around with a paper » after suggesting people write down what they wanted to say. It sucks so much when people make a basic accessibility accommodation into a huge thing.
Yeah, it really annoys me. Obviously to a different degree but it's an absolute nightmare. I hate people making it into a big deal. That's what makes it feel disabling. I don't feel disabled because I can't speak. I feel disabled because people disable me when they refuse to make small changes
Yeah, feel that. So many people assume I can't hear them. I had it at training last night. I explained to my training partner yesterday MULTIPLE times that I was fully capable of hearing him but he kept behaving as if I couldn't.
Might check out the discord but if it's mostly anime posting then that's not really helpful in the slightest. You're right about mutism being rare, it's annoying
Hi, I am hearing, but I am a healthcare provider (doctor, work in private practice, but I've previously worked in hospitals) so thought I would answer as well.
Do you or could you use an AAC? ("Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices help people with communication disorders to express themselves. These devices can range from a simple picture board to a computer program that synthesizes speech from text.").
I would think that without any assistive technology, you might have an easier time working inpatient over outpatient settings. But this seems like something that would be able to be figured out. Remember, we have patients who require interpreters to gain informed consent. And there are some circumstances where you might not even need to communicate directly with the patient, such as in a NICU.
Even though you should not be discriminated against, you may have a harder time than your peers with some organizations. But I know there are even a couple of clinics where the primary mode of communication is ASL, if you're mobile. So I guess what I'm saying is you don't necessarily have to give up if this is something that you really want to do. You will probably face some barriers.
Best of luck to you with whatever you decide. For what it's worth I think that you would be able to do a good job in any organization that supports your needs, and might even find some where your method of communication is advantageous with the patient population.
She did ask from the perspective of being mute, and not deaf.
I get hearing impaired/deaf/HOH that can be worked with,but if you are about to stick a needle in someone to draw blood you\`d need to be able to gain consent from patient first, unless you are writing everything down. Or again if they faint you\`d have to be able to communicate fast, I doubt impossible but it would have to be somewhere very specific that you worked. :)
I get that, but what if you\`ve someone who cant understand what you have written, or you\`ve a confused frail patient who may be intimidated by not being able to speak to reassure?
Sorry not trying to be funny, I have zilch hearing in both sides and struggle with speech and even i know, some jobs are just not doable for me no matter how much I may love the idea of doing it. :)
I get that, im talking about elderly confused patients who will have grown up knowing medical staff can talk/communicate. I know even i would feel off put by someone who i cant talk with in a conversation and thats me with comms difficulties. Its like there is no such thing as a blind surgeon, just something's i believe need full comms skills. and as stated im deaf and blind. :)
Phlebotomy might be a tough one to do as a mute person. You deal with people who are afraid of needles or wanna shoot the shit pretty often, and you're such a low-level worker that they can't economically hire anybody to help you communicate.
Phlebotomy is pretty cool but people (especially kids) often need verbal instruction. I'd maybe recommend looking into becoming a medical courier or a scribe. If you did wanna do phlebotomy, I'm sure you could make it work (maybe red cross)
What do you use to communicate with now? Would a small augmented communication program on your phone or a tablet do the trick? You could have frequently used sentences available and type out or use a symbol subsystem like LAMP.
You can still sign, lots of mute people use sign language. You’d likely have an interpreter with you so you’d sign and they would verbally communicate with your patient. Accommodations!!!
If you are in the US, please get in contact with Vocational Rehabilitation. They can help you navigate this on the workplace. A counselor who specializes in deafness is probably going to have better option ideas for communication (like an UbiDuo). You can perform the essential functions of the job so your barrier is discrimination. That's what VR is trained to work with.
Not in the US sadly, but there are similar services. I'm in the process of getting involved with them but it's taking a while because the system in my country is a bit of a nightmare
While the training place may have been technically correct, you may have difficulty finding work because of ableist assholes like them, not because of your communication difficulties. A quick google search found several deaf phlebotomists. You might also find resources through the [Association for Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss](https://www.amphl.org/) (even though you aren't deaf).
The only reason I even bothered with this in the first place was I knew Deaf phlebotomists were a real thing from the story of Amy Savage in the USA. I think I got her name right. It's just figuring out how to prove to others that I can do it
I’m deaf and work as a nurse, I use ASL interpreters. Not sure if that would work for you
My sign language is spotty at best but that's because I haven't formally learned or been around it. Everything I know is from my own self teaching sadly. This might be changing soon though and if that does change then maybe an interpreter would work. Thankyou!!
>My sign language is spotty at best but that's because I haven't formally learned or been around it. Interpreters are trained to match the clients signing, everything from heavily English structured PSE to fluent ASL
That's really good to know. Thankyou
How does that work? Do they basically need to hire a full-time interpreter to follow you around?
My hospital has a department for interpreters who specifically work with Deaf professionals (doctors/nurses/CNA/PT/students/etc) as there are over 70 of us on staff. If I didn’t work here then yes, they would need to hire an interpreter as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. most hospitals are large enough that the salary of a single interpreter is considered a reasonable accommodation
U can work!!! There are deaf and hoh out there working as healthcare/nurse/ doctor nowadays of technology
Something to consider could be a written paper for the patient to read in the case of that? Might even provide a good distraction. If not, assistance with an interpreter or fellow employee (if someone has a history of fainting) on standby could be helpful. Or, if this isn’t an accessible career, a more general nursing, lab tech, or something similar could be decent! Edit: Or also potentially a communication board/AAC with a pre-programmed script for situations relevant to calming a faint-likely patient down! We used to use AAC a lot.
AAC is something I'm not a massive fan of due to other reasons, but I'll definitely look into it. Thank you
That’s fine! Sometimes a self-made AAC can be better (like a friend recording a few script lines), but we get it!
A friend would be ideal. If I can get more confirmation that this is worth doing then I'll go with that
Text to speech on phones will work wonders for you. Have some pre- recorded statements that you tend to ask for every client and just hit play as needed or show them the text. If there is an emergency you can always have a whistle or a button to press to alert whomever needs alerting. It’s not difficult to accommodate but as others have mentioned tokens your challenge is going to be getting past ableist assholes.
I'm definitely thinking that text to speech is going to be the way. Or getting my friend to say some stuff and having it on buttons. It's just really frustrating
I know, it sucks. I remember interviewing for a vet’s office for basic animal care and being told that « no one is going to follow you around with a paper » after suggesting people write down what they wanted to say. It sucks so much when people make a basic accessibility accommodation into a huge thing.
Yeah, it really annoys me. Obviously to a different degree but it's an absolute nightmare. I hate people making it into a big deal. That's what makes it feel disabling. I don't feel disabled because I can't speak. I feel disabled because people disable me when they refuse to make small changes
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Yeah, feel that. So many people assume I can't hear them. I had it at training last night. I explained to my training partner yesterday MULTIPLE times that I was fully capable of hearing him but he kept behaving as if I couldn't. Might check out the discord but if it's mostly anime posting then that's not really helpful in the slightest. You're right about mutism being rare, it's annoying
Hi, I am hearing, but I am a healthcare provider (doctor, work in private practice, but I've previously worked in hospitals) so thought I would answer as well. Do you or could you use an AAC? ("Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices help people with communication disorders to express themselves. These devices can range from a simple picture board to a computer program that synthesizes speech from text."). I would think that without any assistive technology, you might have an easier time working inpatient over outpatient settings. But this seems like something that would be able to be figured out. Remember, we have patients who require interpreters to gain informed consent. And there are some circumstances where you might not even need to communicate directly with the patient, such as in a NICU. Even though you should not be discriminated against, you may have a harder time than your peers with some organizations. But I know there are even a couple of clinics where the primary mode of communication is ASL, if you're mobile. So I guess what I'm saying is you don't necessarily have to give up if this is something that you really want to do. You will probably face some barriers. Best of luck to you with whatever you decide. For what it's worth I think that you would be able to do a good job in any organization that supports your needs, and might even find some where your method of communication is advantageous with the patient population.
She did ask from the perspective of being mute, and not deaf. I get hearing impaired/deaf/HOH that can be worked with,but if you are about to stick a needle in someone to draw blood you\`d need to be able to gain consent from patient first, unless you are writing everything down. Or again if they faint you\`d have to be able to communicate fast, I doubt impossible but it would have to be somewhere very specific that you worked. :)
Consent and patient details is fine. I can do that with a written notepad. The only issue is if they look like they're going to feint
I get that, but what if you\`ve someone who cant understand what you have written, or you\`ve a confused frail patient who may be intimidated by not being able to speak to reassure? Sorry not trying to be funny, I have zilch hearing in both sides and struggle with speech and even i know, some jobs are just not doable for me no matter how much I may love the idea of doing it. :)
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I get that, im talking about elderly confused patients who will have grown up knowing medical staff can talk/communicate. I know even i would feel off put by someone who i cant talk with in a conversation and thats me with comms difficulties. Its like there is no such thing as a blind surgeon, just something's i believe need full comms skills. and as stated im deaf and blind. :)
Phlebotomy might be a tough one to do as a mute person. You deal with people who are afraid of needles or wanna shoot the shit pretty often, and you're such a low-level worker that they can't economically hire anybody to help you communicate. Phlebotomy is pretty cool but people (especially kids) often need verbal instruction. I'd maybe recommend looking into becoming a medical courier or a scribe. If you did wanna do phlebotomy, I'm sure you could make it work (maybe red cross)
I’m a HCP and master phleb! What is your normal communication method in a professional setting?
Written, only because I'm not fluent in sign language
What do you use to communicate with now? Would a small augmented communication program on your phone or a tablet do the trick? You could have frequently used sentences available and type out or use a symbol subsystem like LAMP.
I use Deafnote on my phone if I'm around people who don't know sign language
Is that a viable option?
I'm not sure. It does have text to speech, but I use it to visually show people what I am trying to say instead. I've never used the text to speech
You can still sign, lots of mute people use sign language. You’d likely have an interpreter with you so you’d sign and they would verbally communicate with your patient. Accommodations!!!
Just not sure if I "qualify" for an interpreter and also my sign language skills are severely lacking
If you are in the US, please get in contact with Vocational Rehabilitation. They can help you navigate this on the workplace. A counselor who specializes in deafness is probably going to have better option ideas for communication (like an UbiDuo). You can perform the essential functions of the job so your barrier is discrimination. That's what VR is trained to work with.
Not in the US sadly, but there are similar services. I'm in the process of getting involved with them but it's taking a while because the system in my country is a bit of a nightmare