Discovering my Deaf Identity... my Deaf Gain!

Our people and their diversity are the heart of Accenture. This September, we're celebrating DeafTember in Accenture, a month of Deaf awareness, education, and celebration to champion for a more inclusive workplace for our Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing co-workers.

Since today is the start of the International Week of Deaf People, I wanted to share my story of my Deaf Gain and answer some common questions to reframe and change the way people view and think about Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals.

When did you find out that you were going deaf and how did you feel?

I have known for quite a while. The first time I failed a hearing test was when I was 18 and entering the Army.?Back then I said “I have a cold, can I resit the test?”. They let me and I just kept pressing this button that would ensure that I pass.

Over the years it has gotten a lot worse, to the point that I stopped answering the phone, the TV would be on full volume (and I would still complain that people were “mumbling”), and I started to withdraw socially as well as at work.

One day, my husband said “let’s go out for a coffee”. We jumped in the car and he drove me not to a café, but to an audiologist.?I had my tests right then and there. The results were that I had a hearing loss of 70% and it will continue to get worse over the next 5-10 years.?This was 3.5 years ago.

Honestly, I am not sure how I felt. There was a part of me that was relieved to know that what I was experiencing had a “name” to it.?I knew from that day on that I would do what I needed to do to ensure that my level of communication would not be altered, and I would do what would make me happy. This included getting hearing aids and learning Australian Sign Language (Auslan).

What were some new habits you had to adopt in your daily routine?

It’s funny, I had adopted a lot of the habits without realising, because it had been going on for so long.?I was already really good at lip reading and already used closed captions across most of my work (because to me, everyone mumbles hahaha).

Some of the additional habits included, sign language, a different alarm clock – I needed one that flashes and vibrates, a TV adapter for my hearing aids, and choosing places to socialize “wisely”. The noisier the place the harder it is to pick up anything that is said with hearing aids.

How did your family and friends react when they knew about your diagnosis?

Well both my husband and mother were not surprised, they have been talking about me needing to get tested for a while.?They have been super supportive and are both learning Auslan as well! My friends have been mostly curious and wanting to understand more about it.

The people I have most challenges with are strangers – people who don’t know me and make assumptions when they find out I am Deaf.?They may react in strange ways, like stop talking to me, or they will try to speak loud, or they will say things like “oh you don’t sound deaf”.

When it comes to work, what are some of the struggles you face?

Mostly I am okay as long as we are virtual. I can turn on closed captions and most people whom I work with turn on their videos so that I can read their lips. I also use WhatsApp or Teams Messenger often.

I tend to struggle with two areas – firstly if I need to go and meet anyone face to face – especially over coffee. I get really nervous because I am worried I won’t hear, and I will look stupid.?This happens a lot – I tend to try to have “educated guesses” around context and do the best I can.

The second area is when I need to do a 1 on 1 call with clients especially if I don’t know them very well or if they have accents. I worry that I will miss what they say, and that will damage our relationship or kill a deal.

You have always been championing inclusivity in the d/Deaf and HoH community in and outside of Accenture?–?what are some of the campaigns that you have led or participated in?

Our biggest campaign to date is?DeafTember.?It is a month-long campaign to spread awareness around Deaf Culture, the importance of Sign Language (it is a human right) as well as raising money for local Deaf Associations to continue to supply the community with free interpreters, note takers and health services.

This has had an incredible outcome so far, we had over 280 people come to our Deaf Culture Lunch N Learn, we have had over 300 people sign up for sign language classes (across 5 different sign languages), and we haven’t had the fundraising event yet but are close to achieving our $10,000 goal!

I am looking forward to what comes next – our Deaf Program, where we will identify d/Deaf and HoH professionals who want to become Developers. We are partnering with Salesforce for specialised training which will create something truly special and something to be proud of!

Happy International Week of Deaf People!