For many people who are deaf and hard of hearing, everyday errands like shopping or paying bills can be a hassle because of the many factors that can obstruct communication in these scenarios. But now, thanks to the Internet, the situation has turned for the better.
It's now possible to conduct more kinds of business from your desk chair than ever before. For people with disabilities, online transactions make things convenient, faster and less worrisome.
"I pay my bills online, order most things online instead of shopping in stores and print my own postage," says Joyce Conser of Florida. "I use Web sites for most anything at all. I order books from my library online, register warranties on new products online, print my own greeting cards. I also get my bills electronically when possible and even financial reports electronically from our financial advisor."
Today's technology offers a great deal of independence to people with hearing loss. Not only can you shop, pay bills, sell items, study and request many services, but the list of things that can be done online keeps growing by the day.
"My success with my cochlear implant (CI) truly has opened up a whole new world for me, just as the Internet did," says Andrea in Florida. "I am independent. I can make my own medical appointments. I scheduled my second CI surgery all on my own. For the first one, almost eight years ago, I had to rely on my mom to help me."
Besides the normal everyday issues, there are many other situations that can be solved online. "For the most part I've been pleased with how much I can get done online," relates Amy Saxon Bosworth of Colorado. "For example, I had a very complicated pregnancy last year. My home health agency's standard protocol was twice-daily phone calls to check vitals and stats. I was able to set up a daily online chat instead and I got amazing care."
The Internet is opening up employment in new ways as well. In fact, many jobs that have traditionally put up barriers for people with hearing loss are now accessible thanks to the technology offered online.
"For job searches, I've used the PA Careerlink online application as well as Civil Service registration, which are much easier than the long drive to these facilities that would be required," says Cathy Zimmerman of Pennsylvania. "Answering printed questions is always easier than reading the questions on another person's lips."
H. Stephen Kaye, Ph.D., of the Disability Statistics Center Institute for Health and Aging at the University of California, San Francisco, explains that people with hearing loss have a lot to gain from new technologies in our electronic age, yet often underutilize the resources available to them. Says Kaye, "Many people with disabilities, whether elderly or not, lack an awareness of the potential benefits of this technology, an understanding that, for themselves especially, a computer and an Internet connection could become not a toy, but an important tool with which to gain greater independence and social integration."
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