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Tips for Deaf Job Seekers

Explaining about Accommodations to Employers

Some employers may not have met a deaf person before. They wonder how communication will happen if they hire a deaf employee. You might need to tell people how to communicate with you even though they may not ask you. Be ready to offer suggestions based on what has been successful for you in the past. If you use sign language, you can tell the employer you are willing to teach some basic signs to your supervisor and co-workers. Communicating on the computer is often quicker than writing things back and forth.

Employers often have questions about how to make sure deaf employees are included in the workplace. They like to know about strategies, services, and equipment that can help make the deaf employee a better worker. Be prepared to tell employers how the telephone relay service works if they want to communicate by phone. When you are hired, and know what your responsibilities will be, you can discuss TTY's, signaling and assistive listening devices, and interpreter services that may help you do your job better. You should do research, and have information ready about how to obtain these services and equipment, and how much they will cost.

	The information above was provided by the Center on Employment of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf - a program of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Other useful topics include: Communication Strategies, Networking - Job Fair Tips , Interviewing Successfully, Interviewing with an Interpreter, Using the Relay to Contact Employers.