Should deaf people be allowed to be EMT'S or Medics

[vs-eh?]

I would point out that there's a different in deaf and having a hearing loss or hearing imparement. I've lost about 10% of the hearing in my right ear because of working on a saw at a manufacturing facility that I used to work at. I listen with my left ear when I'm taking a BP or listening to lung sounds.

Even for those who are considered having enough of a loss to need hearing aids there may be so little loss that the only way you can tell is if the person tells you. Myeldset son has bilat hearing aids, he only has problems with b-d and v-z when he's in noisey situations and has learned to tell the word from the content of the sentence sorrounding the work and he's only 10.

There is a pretty big difference between 10% LOSS and ONLY HAVING 10% hearing in an ear. *Breaks out calculator...carry the 6....80%....phew*

And if you say that you listen with your left ear because of only 10% loss? I (and again this isn't personal), would find it hard to believe a person with 10% and 85% respective hearing capacity would be able to function properly in aspects of professional EMS work. Prior service testing or not.

This isn't about functioning adequately in everyday life (as per your son). This is about a job that may require certain physical attributes that aren't going to be met adequately, and potentially may interfere.

As an aside.... http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/careers/career.php

See the vision/hearing thing? I'd be screwed for vision unless I went the "laser" (GO AUSTIN POWERS) way. For hearing? "Must meet hearing standards as established by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police". What does that mean? I dunno but I'm pretty sure anyone with any "significant" hearing loss would be screwed too.

The breaks.

[Asysin2leads]

No offense to anybody with disabiliites out there, but the

when the hell did prehospital emergency care become the Special Olympics? Look, we are doing a job! We need to lift heavy things, move quickly, and use our senses to assess and treat our patients. I'm sorry that only 2% of the population is fit to provide emergency care (1% will actually be in emergency services, %0.5 will still be there after 5 years), but its the nature of the work. You know what, no, no, let's let the deaf guy take the BP, the blind guy drive the ambulance, the guy with the wheelchair do the lifting and the one with the speech impediment give the report. So long as everybody has fun.

[emt3225]

The bottom line is....If you are deaf then you dont belong riding in the back of a ambulance..If you really want to help people there are many other jobs out there that you can be doing that would be consider helping people and not actually putting someones life at risk..I dont want to sound cruel but this is life..We are there to help people not make ourselves feel good...

[emt3225]

No offense to anybody with disabiliites out there, but the

when the hell did prehospital emergency care become the Special Olympics? Look, we are doing a job! We need to lift heavy things, move quickly, and use our senses to assess and treat our patients. I'm sorry that only 2% of the population is fit to provide emergency care (1% will actually be in emergency services, %0.5 will still be there after 5 years), but its the nature of the work. You know what, no, no, let's let the deaf guy take the BP, the blind guy drive the ambulance, the guy with the wheelchair do the lifting and the one with the speech impediment give the report. So long as everybody has fun.

Exactly......Thats the point i was trying to make... =D>

[Alcomedicism]

10% of hearing out of my right ear and 85% hearing out of my left ear - I listen for BPs and lung sounds out of my LEFT ear which is at 85% or would you rather me listen for the BP in my right ear which is only 10% hearing ability.

Also I have never had to wear a hearing aid- the hearing loss in my left ear is bad enough that no hearing aid could amplify the sounds enough to make it effective. If I wore a hearing aid in my right ear it would be too much sound - straight out of my audiologists mouth.

Now if it got to the point that I started having trouble listening and deciphering sounds and I needed to start wearing hearing aids then yeah Id go take an office job somewhere BUT I dont want an office job and why should I have to settle for a less exciting job simply because I cant hear out of one ear?? You wont believe how bad you have mangled my posts.

I still have hearing - just out of one ear instead of two.

And I dont take NO for an answer.

alco

[vs-eh?]

Again this is a general reply and could just as easily apply to the initial case. I will apply it to alco's because she brought it up...

For employment purposes...

Let's say the company does not require independent testing of ear/eye/lung function for baseline and insurance purposes...

It will very likely have a form to be filled out by a physician asking about general health information. One of those items will be hearing. The physician will have to concede that you are deaf (I assume only 10% hearing is legally deaf, 10% vision I assume is legally blind so) in one ear. Now fine, the doctor or audiologist can decide to go to bat for you and note that they feel you would adequately function in EMS. Now they are legally on the line should anything happen.

And even if the above were not required, your application form will have a question asking if you have any conditions that may affect your ability to do your job. Even if you don't think it will, you will have to disclose your hearing condition.

And if the company does require/ask any of those things? Ummmm, it's probably called Liability Ambulance.

Now fair enough, in the end it is the company's decision. But it would be right to assume that they are sticking their neck out a little more for you than an average employee. As well as setting a precedent. Then should anything happen, even if had nothing to do with hearing necessarily, it will play a large role. Then the company will have to concede they knew prior, your doctor who may have went to bat for you gets involved. Be a bit of a mess, and likely more liability then it may be worth.

We all want people to succeed, just giving some likely facts.

[Nate]

I once tried the "hearing impared" act with dispatch...it didn't work. :?

[Alcomedicism]

Sure its a liability issue, but once again there many Medics and EMTs that have worked in the field for years and have had hearing loss due to the noise, and Im sure if they took a through hearing test they would likely not meet the minimum standards, should these people be fired, simply because of their job related hearing loss, if they have hearing loss, they could be held just as accountable as I would.

End of story.

[vs-eh?]

Sure its a liability issue, but once again there many Medics and EMTs that have worked in the field for years and have had hearing loss due to the noise, and Im sure if they took a through hearing test they would likely not meet the minimum standards, should these people be fired, simply because of their job related hearing loss, if they have hearing loss, they could be held just as accountable as I would.

Alco...I am sure you will agree there is a distinct difference between ACQUIRED on the job hearing loss to the point of being unable to meet minimums and PRE-EMPLOYMENT known hearing loss that may not be able to meet minimums.

Should that person who acquired their hearing loss be fired? No, but they are probably going to be put on some kind of alternate duty within the company.

Should the person who may fail to meet minimum pre-employment standards be hired? I dunno, be a little hard pressed. There is forethought and prior knowledge of a physical condition that could potentially be of a detriment to you, partner, patient, etc...I am not saying it WILL happen, but you have to think of it that way.

Alco, I am honestly trying to wrap my head around this scenario and how a company could hire you. I can't honestly think of any reasonable options, especially if the EMT-B pool is deep. I invite others to try as well.

I want you to succeed in your dream.

[Sassafras]

There's a gulf of difference between hard of hearing and deaf. I have a co-worker who wears a hearing aid and uses a special stethoscope, but she is still able to hear and communicate. Would I want to work with a deaf partner? No way, no how. Put aside for the moment (because it's already been brought up) the issue of auscultating BPs and breath sounds. How am I and our patients supposed to communicate with someone who is completely deaf? By writing? By making sure I'm in a position where they can read my lips? I don't think so. Honestly, I can't even begin to express the number of times I rely on my partner's ability to hear, speak, and otherwise communicate in a shift.