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worked with him. Grabousky notes that in a
team, strong teamwork can help overcome
individual deficiencies.
2
Deaf since birth, Joseph Ronan volunteers
for his local fire department in West Haven,
Conn. He idolized firefighters as a child
and sought a role at his local station after
school.
Firefighters put him through training,
and while the state says he can't be a paid,
full-fledged crew member, he continues to
participate as possible. Said the director
of his fire school: "The instructors and
students alike all said it doesn't make
a difference if you're deaf or blind: You
can't see or hear anything inside a burning
building any way, so it basically made
everyone level."
3
Embrace the Change
In closing, don't be nervous about hiring
or working alongside people with hearing
disabilities—they had to pass the same
exams and clinicals you did. Take the time
to approach them, get to know them and
enjoy their company. Ask questions—trust
me, you won't offend most people; they
already know they're deaf!
If you find yourself working with someone
with hearing loss and you notice they
seem to say "What?" or "Huh?" a lot, ask
them what you can do to ensure better
conversation. For some deaf people
it's difficult to ask others to change, so
they suffer in silence, in fear of making a
shift miserable, even though it might be
something as simple as talking just a little
bit slower or louder.
R E F E R E N C E S
1. Smith C. Young EMT out to prove deafness no obstacle. The
Press Democrat, 2013 Jan 13; www.pressdemocrat.com/
news/2209399-181/smith-young-emt-out-to.
2. Olanof f L. Deaf EMT 'better than some hearing staf f ' with
Bethlehem ambulance company. Lehigh Valley Live, 2013
May 12; www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.
ssf/2013/05/bethlehem_ambulance_company_pl.html.
3. Brennan L. Deaf man realises his boyhood dream as he is
allowed to become a fireman. Daily Mail, 2012 June 20;
www.dailymail.co.uk /news/article-2162006/Deaf-man-
realises-boyhood-dream-firefighter.html.
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R
Adam Har vey, NREMT-P, is a
paramedic with Allina Health EMS in
St. Paul, Minn.
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READ MORE ONLINE
Instructor Nechama Loebel conducts
first EMS course in sign language
in Israel.
www.emsworld.com/news/217909