Telephone Operator: University of ###, how can I direct your call?
Student: Uh, yeah, my buddies and I went fishing this weekend, and we fried some fish. I left it sitting out on the counter. Do you think I can still eat it?
T. O: I wouldn’t recommend it sir, but I’ll be happy to transfer you to student health services.
Student: Uh, Yeah, Okay, thanks.
And other…
T.O.: University of ###, how can I direct your call?
Future Student: Oh hi! Like, I’m going to be going there in the fall. How many parking spaces do we get?
T.O: One, I assume: how many do you need?
F.S: Well, like, I didn’t know which car I was going to bring; my Ferrari or my Porsche.
T.O.: I don’t know why you couldn’t bring them both, but I’ll transfer you to the Campus Police.
As time went by, I noticed I couldn’t turn the volume up on my head set any longer. Initially, I thought it might be faulty equipment. Boy, I was SO wrong in my assumption.
Life kept moving forward, and small hearing issues in public places seemed to grow. Eventually, I ended up in the office of the Department of Rehabilitation Services to discuss my problems with my vocational rehabilitation caseworker. He suggested I go see an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist (ENT), and we would talk further.
The visit to the ENT included a hearing evaluation. Sitting in a little sound proof cubicle with a hand held buzzer, I would repeat words, or push the buzzer when I heard a sound. My hearing evaluation resulted in the diagnosis of adult onset high frequency neurological hearing loss, and tinnitus, which wasn’t unexpected; although, it was a devastating diagnosis because I was a church soloist in hopes of developing a singing ministry. So, the task of working , going back to college, and raising two small boys while learning to be hearing impaired began.
A local church offered sign language classes. My mother and I thought it might be a good place to start learning about deafness. The instructor passed out books purchased from the local center for the deaf. After telling my caseworker about this, he suggested I visit the center because it receives referrals from DRS. I picked up the phone, and changed my life!
My caseworker was so calm, laid back, and informative which is what I needed considering I was a basket case by then. I took a lackadaisical approach to this because I didn’t realize or acknowledge the importance of the services I was getting. But, what made me really think about myself, and the services I was receiving was a seemingly unusual question! I was asked, “If you were a pizza, what shape would you be?” I thought and replied, “ a triangle because I want to be multifaceted.” That was a turning point in my time there.
Because of my up coming graduation from college with a degree in social services, I was asked to join the center as a caseworker! The director sent me to an employment services program for job training and development. During this time, one of my assignments inspired this poem, which has become my philosophy for being deaf in a hearing world.
Please Don’t Dis Ability
Welcome to my silent world.
Please try to understand.
I need to work just like you,
But need your helping hand.
Please don’t look the other way
And to ignorance succumb.
Just because I can not hear
Doesn’t mean I’m dumb.
“I can do” is my attitude.
I really want to try.
But, if I don’t get half a chance
Don’t blame me if I cry.
So, let me work by your side:
It means the world to me.
I can grow, and my life will soar
If you will not dis ability!
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