Workplace Solutions for
Individuals Who are Deaf and
Hard of Hearing
Chris Knigga, M.S.
Director of Facilities Services and Sustainability
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Mick Posner, MSSeD, M.S.
Employment Consultant
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
Introduction/Background
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Mick Posner’s Work History
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Employment Consultant (BRS)
VR/Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf (BRS)
Senior Adjunct Professor (Manchester CC)
High School Teacher (American School f/t Deaf)
Installer/Trainer (Sorenson Communications)
RASA Coordinator (Rochester School f/t Deaf)
Introduction/Background
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Chris Knigga’s Work History
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Director, Facilities Services & Sustainability (RIT)
Owner, CMK Construction
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Construction Project Manager (MCC Construction Co.)
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Sr. Project Manager (Trinity Construction Group, Inc.)
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$5 million project to build Video Relay Centers around the USA.
Project Engineer (Garrison Co.)
Project Engineer (DeMattia Group)
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Shopping malls in Indiana, Ohio and Texas.
Facilities Project Manager (Communication Services f/t Deaf)
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Renovations of military bases in Michigan and Colorado
Volkswagen HQ of America
Field Engineer (WCB Associate)
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Ohio Turnpike Toll Booths - $20 million project.
CK’s Video Clip
Video Phone Technology
iPhone
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(Almost) All-In-One Communication Device
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Text/E-mail (perfect for communicating with
supervisors, co-workers, etc.)
Photo (not just for “selfies”) but can be used to
take pictures of notes, whiteboard information,
business cards, locations, etc.
Plethora of apps that can be utilized:
iPad
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Ideal for VP and FaceTime communication.
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FaceTime: Easier for lip-reading purposes.
Less grainy/choppy (iPads generally have more memory,
which allows for faster data stream.)
Apps that works on the iPhone also would work well
here. Think: iPhone on steroids.
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On-The-Job Accommodations
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In most cases with Deaf/HH workers, the #1 barrier in the workplace is
communication. Fortunately, it can be alleviated quickly via low-cost, effective
methods of accommodations.
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Interpreters ($$$)
Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) ($$$)
Paging Devices (ex: Lowe’s Distribution Center)
Strobe Lights (ideal for shipping/receiving type of work, especially w/ vehicles)
Pressure Alert Mats
Desktop/Screen mirror
Telephone Amplification
Telephone Flashers
Telephone w/ numbers listed for call-back.
Video Relay Service (VRS)
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
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And when all else fails… pen & paper 
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Medical Professionals
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RIT/Gallaudet joint effort to study how to increase
number of Deaf professionals entering the medical
field.
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Deaf Medical Student – UC Irvine (perfect example
of CART and iPad technology being utilized.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwDvgFrbY5w
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Accommodations for Personal Use
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How do I wake up in the morning?
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I am the dad of two small kids – how do I know if
they wake up in the middle of the night?
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Environmental sounds at the workplace, home and
out in public.
Accommodations for Personal Use
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Driving
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It should be noted there is no restrictions on a deaf person’s
ability to obtain a license/operate a motor vehicle (except for
commercial use.)
Creative Strategies Examples
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Job Interview – used the desktop computer for
communication purposes.
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Possible accommodation: using the VP instead of
face-to-face meetings (depends on the job.) – must
be in different rooms, per se law.
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Asking for someone to take minutes (not just for the
deaf person but would benefit everyone in the
office.)
Tips/Strategies
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As a Deaf Professional, I feel it is important to be
proactive when it comes to advocating and utilizing
AT in the workplace.
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Educate employer before a situation arises. Take time to
show employer devices. Most of the time, they will find it
“amazing.” It’s also a way to develop communication-based
rapport.
Take responsibility to provide AT myself (iPads, iPhone,
pens/papers, etc.) If I can’t afford something, seek
resources.
Paradigm shift regarding providing interpreters and who
pays for them, particularly during job interviews. Example:
Google
Situations – how would you solve them?
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An employee working in an office environment had
hearing loss due to tinnitus. She could not be
around noise in the office environment for long
periods of time.
A physical therapist who attended weekly staff
meetings and occasional training was having
difficulty participating in groups due to hearing loss.
She wore hearing aids and could benefit from
amplification, but sometimes found it difficult to
follow-along during long meetings or training
seminars.
Situations (continued)
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An electric serviceman with progressive
hearing loss sometimes worked in a bucket
truck and needed to communicate to
coworkers. The usual method of
communication was via a radio.
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An employer was considering hiring a deaf
employee to be a material handler. The
employer had some safety concerns.
Thank You
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Any questions?
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I can be reached at my work e-mail:
michael.posner@ct.gov or my personal email: mickposner@gmail.com