Posted by: kitten ®
10/25/2005, 23:15:30
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I looked into a TTY and had a prescription from my ENT. My vocational rehab coach showed me how it worked and I decided against getting it as it would not help my position at work to "answer" the incoming calls from customers on a two line system. It could have helped me at home, but I have a text to speech program on my computer that I use to make calls.Good luck, I hope it helps you. I had to quit my job, as I was also having fatigue and a great deal of stress from my boss about not having a voice. Karen, ABSD Illinois
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Posted by: Christina Peters ®
10/26/2005, 08:28:05
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Hi Kitten,I am confused what you mean. Under the TTY descriptions, it says you can answer calls from someone calling in and employers do use this. Do you think this would work at a law firm? For instance, the party calls me, the receptionist answers and transfers the call to me? I do not want to have to quit my job. I was hoping this would be my answer. I work at a big lawfirm and we have several lines as you can imagine. I was hoping my employer could work this out for me but I do not want to approach her yet until I know for sure it would work. Any suggestions? Anyone out there with SD use this device at their job? thank you.
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Posted by: kitten ®
10/26/2005, 11:16:46
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I guess I am confused also. My boss where I quit origianlly caled the phone company about the TTY and the phone company in Illinois told her it would not work on a PBX (or multi line) phone. I never actually went for the demonstration but my job rehabilitation coach showed me the one she had in her office. She told me that I could receive calls but the caller had to call the relay operator to get to me. I would not actually hear the caller and would type what the operator would say to the other party and the operator would type the answer back to me. The operator would do all the talking as this device was intended for the deaf. If there is another type of equipment that works differently I don't know. Perhaps someone who does know can answer your question. In the mean time I have been checking into all kinds of technology to help me in every day life, including a new "toy" which is a talking pen that reads what you write on special dot matric paper. They have portable devices but they run from $2,000 and up. Karen ABSD kslynch@insightbb.com
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Posted by: Christina Peters ®
10/26/2005, 14:20:22
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thank you Karen. Do you think your employer was not being cooperative in having your own phone line put in so this would work specifically for you? I think if we could prove this disability, then anyone who has it would be able to make it the law for employers to have to provide this for their employees if there is more than 15 people at the job. As of now that is what the law states so I think employers are required to do this but the trouble is SD is not recognized by the general public like cerebal palsy for instance. It is so hard having a disability especially one that is not recognized. What do you do for a living now? The trouble is once you leave a job, how do you go on an interview when you cannot talk!! It makes me so mad. I am venting right now. sorry.
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Posted by: kitten ®
10/26/2005, 22:24:24
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I was a part time Bookkeeper for a small retail/service business and there were only 3 full time employees and a part time (occasional) helper. My boss did hire another girl to help part time, but there were constant complaints about my voice. This put a lot of stress on me which, of course made my SD worse. I worked less than 19 hours and was extremely fatigued all the time. Some days I went home early as I had a fairly flexible schedule as long as the books were done by the end of the month and the employment taxes and bills paid on time. Things went down hill fast for me the day I had a problem with an accounts receivable with our largest commercial account. Our part time girl did not work that day and my boss had to make the call. She ripped the paper out of my hand and said "you not having a voice just pisses me off to no end". She was constantly reminding me of what I could not do, even though I could perform most of my duties without a voice, I could not answer the two phone lines or wait on customers. Many were elderly and hard of hearing. As my boss was used to leaving the Bookkeeper alone so she could leave any time she wanted she resented the fact I could not take care of the businesss alone, with my handicap. As the fatigue became worse (probably also because of the stress) I finally decided after an episode one day, that it just wasn't worth the $7.25 I was making.Karen
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Posted by: Colleen ®
10/27/2005, 11:19:11
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Isn't it illegal to discriminate like this? That is just awful to be talked to like that..Sounds like you need to get a hold of the ADA in your community..Colleen AB/SD NE
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Posted by: Christina Peters ®
10/27/2005, 16:00:41
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Geez, I'm sorry Karen you were treated like that. I would have responded "working for a ----- like you, just pisses me off to no end." Furthermore, yes I would have filed a Complaint. That is discrimination no doubt!! I hope you like what you do now better. This is tough to live with yet alone go to a job and deal with it. I am sure that you were really upset after that comment. I know how I am treated on the phone puts me in tears but you know really people do not understand why we sound like we do. I am going to take a more active role and spread the word instead of being so depressed from it.
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Posted by: kitten ®
10/28/2005, 16:11:30
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She was exactly what we know your -----stands for. It wasn't just me, she treated all her employees badly and complained to the others about whoever wasn't there. I am unable to find any employment and have been turned down on three jobs because of my voice. As I have extreme fatigue and other medical problems I am in the process of filing for SSDI. My disability hearing should be in August of 2006. I applied July 1,2003 while I was working the part time job. Social Security told me I could work while my case was pending if I earned less than $800.00 per month. I just couldn't take the abuse and the fatigue so I am trying to survive on my small pension.The corporation where I worked in Cost Accounting for 33 years moved to Mexico and offered us a buy out before they closed to keep our good medical coverage by freezing our premium and coverage until we reached age 65. We gave up our bumping rights, severance pay, and our TAA benefits. Now three years later they are putting us on the new insurance anyway. It eventually goes up to around $300 per month (I paid $11.00) and will go up 3% per year plus the difference in premiums collected and benefits paid. We had this agreement in writing but they are changing it anyway.
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Posted by: Lynne ®
10/27/2005, 23:39:50
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Dear All, on this subject.........There is a distinct difference between/among ADA Requirements, re the seven human functions the law protects, and the US Federal Law (which manifests in the 50 states, uniquely) which provides various "free" telecommunications services for Hearing and Speech Impaired people (it's called CTAP in California), and CRS services. ADA and the Telecommunications laws are both Federal, but they are not the same thing. Relay Services are a subset of the Federal Law regarding telecommunications services for disabled people, but not applicable (in a practical situation) to all voice patients in all circumstances, as Kitten mentions. When they say "relay," that's what they mean. It goes through a third-party, so it's not "voice-to-voice." RS is more like Morse Code, or going through another party, just to get a message across. If it works for people, great --- but, if you want to talk voice-to-voice (however sub-par our voices are), the relay services don't fill the bill. Please do not confuse the Americans with Disabilities Act with the Federal/State mandated program providing free phone services. They may intersect, being Federal Laws, but are not the same. Feel free to contact me for additional information on such things. I wrote an article for the NSDA newsletter back in 2000, which talked about Relay Services available in California, among other phone/ADA services available. I can provide information about the Federal Law for those who may need the information or wonder if the law applies to their unique vocal case in a particular state. As always, good luck to any voice patient who may need the service the Federal Govt provides us for telecommunications. Lynne Martinez, MS
--Retired telecommunications manager with expertise in this area
--Voice Patient Advocate and SD patient (AD-SD; RLN)
--L7martinez@aol.com
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Posted by: Christina Peters ®
10/28/2005, 08:56:55
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I am confused because I found this information under the website for Americans with Disabilities. I am not sure if you are telling me that if I were to speak to my employer about this service, they would in fact tell me I do not qualify? I think our voice condition does qualify as an impairment although I do not know if it is specifically listed in the speech impairment disorders like cerebal palsy for instance. It would be nice for it to be recognized since so many people cannot get a job in their field anymore due to their voice. People go to college, incrue alot of debt to pay off student loans and then are out of job having to settle for a job that pays very little. It really is unfair. Irrrgh!!!
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Posted by: Lynne ®
10/28/2005, 14:11:38
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Christina,Please write me off the BB. Yes, much of this can be highly confusing and challenging, when trying to apply it to your individual case. No way to tell if a particular case would qualify. However, as a telecommunications retiree and having a Master's Degree in a field having to do with the ADA (and also having confronted/documented these issues myself in the workplace, with severe AD-SD for 15 years), I'm quite willing to advocate for other voice patients dealing with these issues. Yes, life is unfair. We all need to get beyond that. It is best that folks have an advocate who has researched or lived through or lives with (has experienced) some of this "official legal/governmental stuff." My SD case was dx'd as "extremely severe" by an SD expert/pioneer. I couldn't talk or work at all for many years, after a successful corporate career. Because of the surgery to treat my SD, I can no longer breathe reliably. I am a single self-supporter, supporting a house and family, who couldn't work in any field (I tried them all) for many years --- due to SD. Again, I've been through the ADA process. Fighting several employers who let me go due to SD. I've had to read the ADA Law backwards and forwards, in order to advocate for myself. You and everyone should hold a copy of that Federal Law (not just the website). Also, I fought the SSA to get disability, since I couldn't work. A daunting, lengthy process in itself. I advocate for many voice patients, but the ADA and SSA and the Fed Law requiring telecom services for disabled people are CONFUSING, cumbersome and separate. Takes awhile to sort it all out. Best wishes and good luck. Feel free to write me off the BB about your unique situation. Having been through it all, I'm willing to share my knowledge and help you, or anyone, if you can describe your particular situation and needs. Lynne Martinez (AD-SD; RLN surgery; PVFM; Northern California)
--Voice Patient Advocate
--L7martinez@aol.com
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