10 Amazing Jobs for Deaf People
The above picture is of a man fixing his tie.
10 Amazing Jobs for Deaf
People
The deaf and hard of hearing community is
diverse. There are variations in how a person becomes deaf or hard of
hearing, level of hearing, age of onset, educational background,
communication methods, and cultural identity. How people “label” or
identify themselves is personal and may reflect identification with the deaf
and hard of hearing community, the degree to which they can hear, or the
relative age of onset. For example, some people identify themselves as
“late-deafened,” indicating that they became deaf later in life. Other
people identify themselves as “deaf-blind,” which usually indicates that they
are deaf or hard of hearing and also have some degree of vision loss.
Some people believe that the term “people with hearing loss” is inclusive and
efficient. However, some people who were born deaf or hard of hearing do
not think of themselves as having lost their hearing. Over the years, the
most commonly accepted terms have come to be “deaf,” “Deaf,” and “hard of
hearing.”
“Deaf” and “deaf”- the lowercase deaf when referring to the
audiological condition of not hearing, and the uppercase Deaf when referring to
a particular group of deaf people who share a language – American Sign Language
(ASL) – and a culture.
Hearing-impaired – This term is no longer accepted by
most in the community but was at one time preferred, largely because it was
viewed as politically correct. To declare oneself or another person as
deaf or blind, for example, was considered somewhat bold, rude, or
impolite. At that time, it was thought better to use the word “impaired”
along with “visually,” “hearing,” “mobility,” and so on.
“Hearing-impaired” was a well-meaning term that is not accepted or used by many
deaf and hard of hearing people. For many people, the words “deaf” and “hard of
hearing” are not negative. Instead, the term “hearing-impaired” is viewed
as negative.
The above introduction
was taken from the National Association of the Deaf's website www.NAD.org.
This list is by no
means exhaustive. People who are deaf can do well in any field they chose.
These are just 10 jobs we think are amazing.
Fewer than one in twenty Americans are either hard of hearing or deaf.
If you're one of these 11,000,000 people, you
know that you face unique challenges when it comes to finding employment.
At the same time, though, you also bring a
unique set of perspectives and skills to any job you acquire.
Let's take a look at 10 great jobs for deaf
people.
1. Web Designer
A Web Designer is a person who designs the front
end of websites. It is a pretty cool job as your creativeness shines.
The wages that you make as a web designer can
vary. If you obtain certain certifications, though, you can on average make
around $22.00 to $25.00 on average an hour. Your hourly wage will depend on the
industry, your location, and your experience.
There is always a strong need for qualified web
designers in a wide range of fields.
2. Web Developer (Coder)
A Web Developer (Coder) is a person who builds
the web application. They write the code that creates the web application and
make it function. These individuals are in high demand today. They are broken
down as novice, junior and senior web developers. A junior developer can
command around $80,000 while a senior developer can command well over a
$100,000 per year.
To become
a web developer, you will need to be a person who pays attention to detail.
Formal training either in college or a coding boot camp is usually the route
people take.
3. Special Education
Teacher
Growing up with special needs, you understand
how important it is to have compassionate, competent teachers for all children.
When children have hearing impairments, it's vital that there are teachers who
can communicate with them and encourage their growth and learning.
The median salary for special education teachers
in the US in 2018 was $59,780.
4. Social Media Manager
Social Media is the rage in this day and age.
With sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, businesses of all type know
that they have to socialize their products and or services on social media
platforms because that is where people are. With that realization, the positon
of Social Media Manger has emerged.
This individual manages the company’s online
presence and branding. This position has an average annual salary near $51,000.
5. Medical and Clinical
Laboratory Technologist and Technicians
These individuals work
in labs and spend their time analyzing blood and urine samples with pretty cool
scientific equipment. They are vital to the health care industry and an
individual’s health. Their work presents the clinical practitioners with the
data necessary to establish a diagnosis. The average annual salary is around
$52,000.
6. Psychologist
As a psychologist, you could specialize in
working with people that are hard of hearing and deaf. In this role, you'd
provide mental care and counseling for children and/or adults.
Becoming a psychologist requires quite a bit of
training and education. You will either need to earn a Doctorate in Psychology
(PsyD) or a Clinical Psychology degree.
7. Medical Billing and
Coding Specialist
Medical coding is typically a job that consists
of home-based
computer work. As a medical billing and coding specialist, you'll be
helping the healthcare system function smoothly. You'll be responsible for
reviewing patient records and assigning the appropriate code for procedures,
treatments, and diagnoses.
8. Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers are essential for many small
businesses and nonprofit organizations. As a bookkeeper, you're responsible for
helping businesses track their expenses and income. It's also common for
bookkeepers to be responsible for handling payroll, reimbursing employees for
work-related costs, and preparing invoices.
You don't necessarily need a degree to be a
bookkeeper, but you might consider taking an accounting course in order to gain
the relevant skills.
9. Day-Care Provider for
Hearing Impaired Children
If you are empathetic and patient, you might
find that being a daycare provider for hearing impaired children is a good role
for you. When a parent has a hearing disabled child, it can be very difficult
for them to simply drop a child off at daycare. With your presence as a daycare
provider, those parents can feel much more comfortable that their child's needs
will be met.
10.
Writer/Proofreader/Editor
If you've always had a love of words, being
either a writer, a proofreader, or an editor could prove a good profession for
you.
Whether you become a copywriter, a blogger, a
technical writer, a speechwriter, or something else entirely, there is no
shortage of options when it comes to being a writer. It's common for freelance
writers to communicate with there clients through email as opposed to by phone.
This can make it a particularly accessible job for deaf adults.
There Are a Lot of Great
Jobs For Deaf People
While being deaf can limit your employment
opportunities to some extent, there are still so many opportunities when it
comes time to find a job. Use this list simply as a jumping-off point and not a
complete picture of what's possible. If you're passionate about something and
driven towards a goal you can always find a way to make it work!
Are you looking for jobs for deaf people? Check
out our jobs page to view
our national job listings.