Life in Eureka

Today we will be thinking and looking at the campaign messages:

Equal Language and Accessibility

I promised you about the photo of my old-fashioned hearing aid…

Type of Hearing aids

Type of Hearing aids

In the pictures, you will see there are three different type of hearing aids.. The dark brown one hearing aid was the first one which I wore everyday. The second grey with clip hearing aid was the model of changing to small type from 1980s.. Both of these hearing aids had an ear piece attached to ear mould which can be see in the photo. Finally the latest changing of hearing aid which called ‘over the ear’ and it showed in the photo. It amazed me how the hearing aid change a lot over the period of times. I hated the first two hearing aids because I have to wear like a ‘harness type with a pocket’ to hold the hearing aid everywhere I go. I know some of my D/deaf friends hated those as well. The pictures of children and clothes were used for us to learn at school. These materials were given to me by two teachers for the Deaf children at Kelston Education for the Deaf Centre, Auckland. Because I was doing researching and making into our Deaf History for the community. My project on Deaf History is on hold due to no funding and income for me to continue. Both of the teachers passed away.

Now looking at the topics in Equal Language and Accessibility.

Equal Language – recognises sign language as a valid linguistic means of conveying thoughts, ideas and emotions. it is a fully operating language with its own syntax, morphology and structure. it fulfils all features serve to define the notion of a language. this has been confirmed in many systematic linguistic research on sign language since the late 1970s.

Accessibility – Stresses that deaf people need access to public information and service via sign language, interpreting, subtitling and/or close captioning. A key factor to accessibility to public service such as health care, employment, social welfare or any other government services is provision of and access to sign language.

As a deaf linguist, before I became a deaf linguist and I tried to understand why many D/deaf people signs as their first language, does it have a genuine language like English, French, Italian etc? Are our sign language the same to the rest of the world or not? There was so many answers for me to explore and to research. ….

will continue later..

World Federation for the Deaf

An exciting week: starting from today – “With Sign Language, I am Equal” and this is a strong message to everyone to share with their colleagues, family and friends..

Ten years there was an official language – New Zealand Sign Language in New Zealand and today we have got three official languages which are Maori, English and New Zealand Sign Language.

“International Week of the Deaf is an initiative of the WFD and was first launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy. It is celebrated annually by the global Deaf Community on the last week of September to commemorate the same month the first World Congress of the WFD was held. IWD is celebrated through various activities by the respective Deaf Communities worldwide. These activities call for participation and involvements of various stakeholders including families, peers, governmental bodies, professional sign language interpreters, and DPOs.”

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tvdrp4rittw623k/AACjcAthvtHtjyiRldqrrv09a/1.%20IWD%20TOOLKIT%202016.pdf?dl=0

Let see the campaign messages are:

Birth Right – Draws upon the principle of basic human rights in relation to language acquisition at birth. When acquired fast, it enables deaf children to have full communication with people, improving their cognitive and social skills. Deaf children need access to sign language from birth.

Deaf identity – Identifies deaf people as belonging to a cultural and linguistic community, who use sign language as a mother tongue or natural language to communicate.

Many D/deaf people born D/deaf from birth or in the later life and their parents were referred to the medical clinic for the diagnosed on the hearing loss. The parents will decide on what kind of communicate for their D/deaf child and it can be sign language, oral or both of the communication. It can be difficult for a D/deaf child to be placed in a mainstream school where there are no other D/deaf children there. The school must provide a teacher aide with a skill which called NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language), full or partially understand in the Deaf culture and the community. As well, the staff of the school must provide any equipment such as Ipad with special tools such as captioning, recording the teacher’s message for homework and flashing fire alarm for the D/deaf child during the school terms. Every child in the mainstream school must learn to communicate in sign language with a D/deaf child and it will strength bond of friendship and trust.

It can be difficult for a D/deaf child to be placed in a mainstream school where there are no other D/deaf children there. The school must provide a teacher aide with a skill which called NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language), full or partially understand in the Deaf culture and the community. As well, the staff of the school must provide any equipment such as Ipad with special tools such as captioning, recording the teacher’s message for homework and flashing fire alarm for the D/deaf child during the school terms. Every child in the mainstream school must learn to communicate in sign language with a D/deaf child and it will strength bond of friendship and trust. If the parent chose to have their D/deaf child to speak, therefore a speech therapist need to be there and to teach the D/deaf child.

It would be good for the parent placed their D/deaf child in the Deaf Education School because of many D/deaf children are there and have the same communicating methods such as NZSL/English Signed. In this school where D/deaf children will communicating easily and there are plenty of special equipment available for their needs. The teachers have got their skills in NZSL/English Signed and of course, the teachers can be either Deaf or hearing. The parents of the D/deaf child would need to learn to sign early so they can communicate with their children including a D/deaf child in the household, school and in the Deaf community.

It is really come down to a D/deaf child to develop their mother’s tongue as a first language which can be either NZSL/English Signed or English language.It is the D/deaf child’s right to make the decision on what their Deaf identity is.

For an example – I was born deaf from rubella via my sister and mum. My parents were unaware of my deafness since birth until my late grandmother noticed the problem I have. Of course, I suffered a slow delayed in speech and balance problem right up to 18 months old. I wore an old-fashioned hearing aid even I hated the sounds and I tried to throw the hearing aid down in the toilet. A picture of my old-fashioned hearing aid will be following in the next day. I learnt to speak through my speech therapist until I was at Hamilton West School. There was a speech therapy clinic from 1950s to 1980s and every Deaf children went to have a speech therapy. We did not use sign language until later but we did use sign language which called body gesture signs in the playground times. We developed our own gesture signs which formed into New Zealand sign language and share with other Deaf children throughout many schools around the regional of New Zealand during the social visitings. This sign language is our own linguistic in New Zealand and we borrow other sign languages from USA, Australia and Europe such as England and France (Old French-USA sign language). I do not identify myself as a Deaf when I was young until I was in  Melville High and this is when I realised that I am deaf.  Yes, I do notice that I wear hearing aid and speak three languages – English and TC (Total Communicate Signs)/NZSL for many years even I can not hear myself at night.

More to follow…….

Eating my lunch in the sun room today and it was a lovely morning so far… Most of our trees are showing sign of flowers blooming – Cherry Trees out in the back off the rural road and a couple lovely Magnolia trees in the fields from the kitchen and office windows.

Imagine what kind of life will bring to everyone including us from now to the future?? Joy, Sad, relaxing, reward, war, more crimes or what ever….

In Waikato area, we have experience with wild and wet weather during the Winter season. It was so different weather from last year:

• In 2015 less thunderstorm, rain, late cold evening, early frost and plenty of sunshine.
• In 2016 over two and a half months lots of rains – mainly heavy one, a month of thunderstorm and wild wind, cold and less sun shine. Of course flooding out in the farm land.

We have not see any possums, rabbits, rats or mice lately but our dogs have heard and chased them out in the property. We caught around five to six young rats in the sun room. We know these animals are still out here and there.

I have not done any gardening project since January and I managed to do light weeding, planting a few new trees including the last three fruit trees and shrubs including plant cuttings. What was the reason that stopping me from doing gardening??

It was my injury in the neck, shoulder and elbow that prevent me from doing any activities such as house jobs, gardening, computer works and carry shopping. Of course walking our two dogs…

My GP sent a referral letter to the Neurology Clinic after I visited my Physio Therapist who he suggested that I need to see someone at the Neurology Clinic because of my nerve and muscle got worst and there is a possibility not much left. This was in January 2016 and I was told that I am on the priority two list at the Waikato Hospital. This means my waiting list will be around April and May. However everyday I walked or drive to the rural mail box and check any mails from the Waikato Hospital.. Nothing came, nothing bring me good new so far until two months ago. I emailed my GP and they followed up with the nurse. This time we were told that it will be around mid August to September.. Nothing came in the mail until I discovered that I have a different appointment last week. OF course I did not received a mail from a different department of the Waikato Hospital either. Lucky I got my family member to phone the nurse while my partner was at work. The whole thing was the failure to update my physical home address by three quarter of the Waikato Hospital Departments except Audiology Department. I asked the nurse if she can locate the booking system via Neurology Department including updating our physical address and she was happy to do it for me. Finally a proper mail came through in the rural mail box last Saturday and it was only four days closer to my appointment. Good grief, what a shocking even madness!

The jobs – One of the job bought looming for me because the work place is closing down at the end of the year or whatever. I have no luck in finding a job and many applicants have turned down. I have no idea what kind of job that I can do until I get the result from the Neurology Department first. First of all, I would love to continue to work on projects which are Deaf Adult Literacy/Numeracy, Budget Advisor for the Deaf people, Deaf History – continue to write books and collaborate stories, photos etc and finally gardening project from home. I don’t have any funding as all and no income to support these projects. Where would I find funding from? I tried to established a couple websites and to raise awareness. But no one response and donated to the projects. There are many shortage of fundings around NZ and I may need to source oversea business or private charity fundings.

Now I am wondering what kind of life will bring me and my partner for our future here. We are not going anywhere because we love our home and gardens better than in the city of Hamilton. I want to carry on with gardening projects for pleasure and encouraging my extended families to come here more often than having us to their places many times over the last many years. The gardens have changed a lot since a small number of family came here until April or May 2016. Our first Christmas lunch we invited them to come and shared with us in our newly home, was in 2014. It was not the whole extending family.  This year we are staying here and to relax the day on Christmas Day as it will be our third Christmas.

Of course we understand that many of them don’t have money to travel out or their times with their friends in the city of Hamilton but what are the excuse they have or to complain. They have already been out to Raglan, Pirongia and other many places more often. We are not that far away from Hamilton and the travelling time is between 28 minutes to 1 hour (Raglan area). I made a lot of travels to the city of Hamilton three to four times a week and it was only work and a bit of shopping. I often asked them on a particular day when I will be in the city but they said they have their own plan already. They don’t regularly in touch with us than with their own family and friends. I like to have time out during the rest days when there is a beautiful weather and allow to spend time in the garden or doing something in the house even with dogs. My partner work five to six days a week in a very long hours. If I am to preparing to make video or take photos and send over to them and it won’t work on their computer or does not feel if they were here. So what is the different between here to there! I am not complaining…..

mmmmm, We enjoying popping in Morrinsville, Cambridge and other rural villages for our shopping and to enjoy drinking coffees in the cafés. Last week we visited Morrinsville and the weather was lovely. We were amazed to see how many people including children popping in one of the popular bakery along the main road in Morrinsville. I observed on what kinds of people bought on cakes/biscuits, doughnuts, pies, Sally Lunn buns and fish n chips. The most popular items were doughnuts, pies, Sally Lunn buns, chips and cakes/biscuits.

Who know what the result of my injury bring us at the end of the week!

  For 8 months since my GP logged the referral letter to the Neurology Department at the Waikato Hospital and every mail days, I walked/drive past the rural mail box to check any mails from them.. I was on the list under priorly Two and it means within 3-4 months from January 2016. Nothing from the Neurology Department and my GP rang the nurse last month. We got a replied message from the nurse and my appointment will be around mid August to September. Blast and bother them!! It is going to have a lovely Spring time and I am wanting to do the gardening projects. The longer delay kept me waiting and my injury is getting worst on good days than bad days. Some days I found myself tiring due to nerve and unable to do physical works. 

Another thing that I am facing is the losing one of the job toward the end of this year! I would be happy to continue to do garden projects BUT with no other income and still waiting for my assessment from the Neurology Department.

What my future will bring me!

I have no luck of getting a job I like and many applicants have turned me down due to other person who have a good high qualification than me apart from my deafness. I applied over 20 applicant forms. No one will support me to do gardening projects as to do voluntary because they want money too. I don’t have any income to pay someone to do the gardening projects. I can’t depend on my partner a lot of times and he is working full time 5-6 days a week. I have no ideas/options what kind of physical works that I can do and not allow to do in the workplace. I REALLY want to get the gardening project up and running and the kind of work I need to earn income until I get the full answer by the Neurology Department.

mmm, today it was not really a good day for me because my injury flared up a bit and the weather was lovely.. Tomorrow I am facing a long meeting with EGL (Enabling Good Lives) and on Thursday I will be working a half day in the city – sign language in the library with a new group and Crosslight Trust office. On Friday I am hoping to recover from injury and less exhaust so I can do some plantings before the rain come back next week. The maximum hours of gardening I can do, is between 1-3 hours a day otherwise the next day or a couple of days I will recover. If I do a half day or a whole day and it will take me a long time to recover.

What about signing to Deaf, Hearing Impaired people, working on computer/Ipad/laptop?? Nope it is not easy when I sign and I will receive a shooting pain or a really nasty one just like an electric shock.

What kind of job I like to do? book-keeping, preparing and teaching literacy/numeracy to Deaf Adult, gardening, writing/typing/researching Deaf History even making a couple of books about Hamilton Deaf Unit, bank officer for Disabled customer, an Advocate person on behalf of the Disabled/Deaf people or genealogist even something I can work from home. Sadly I can’t get any funding for the projects in Deaf History Research and Deaf Adult Literacy/Numeracy by any other organisation even a couple of website such as “Give a little” and “Pledgeme.

I am aware that there are plenty of people who are still waiting for their tests at the Waikato Hospital but the more the staff keep fragile or sick people waiting, will get worse by the time they visit GPs or specialists. I am one of them and my injury will be worsen from time to time….  The same with jobs, I am aware that there are plenty of people who are still looking for work – Hey!  what about disabled people even Deaf people – they need the job first than any other ‘average’ people because they hang around longer than other people.

Oh boy, time to shut down this blog and rest until another day……….! Yes I am raving mad and getting frustrated for being delay unless something else will brighten up my day. Our dogs and my partner always bring or make my laugh and give me time to rest.

Less rain, thunderstorms, frost and cold so far!

The last two months we have had experienced very bad weather – heavy rain, frequently thunderstorms, high winds, colds and foggy. We have 3-4 frosts in the first month of the Winter. It was so different season from last year.

Over the last few weeks, I was looking at the planning on the garden project stages but there are some physical activities jobs that I still can’t do. Last weekend we pruned the old Feijoa tree – just partially facing on the State Highway 26 road and leaving the other side to grow more. I recall a couple of my family members pruned hard on my mother’s Feijoa tree few years back and she did not have any fejioa for a while. I told her to not prune back every branches.. The family members and my mother learnt the lesson about pruning any trees.

Last week, I did some weeding in the garden next to the water pump hut and found more winter plants such as Helleborus. It was good to know that I don’t need to buy these plants because it cost a lot of money. Today I did some more weeding in the centre large garden by checking any plant cuttings survived or not through wet weather and it was relief that the plant cuttings survived  through wild wet weather even by our dogs who trampling over any plants.

Yesterday I was sowing the seedlings – vegetables and flowers in advance and keep in the sun room where we receive daily sunshine. Two vegetable gardens were not ready for plowing and turning over yet.. due to my injury and my partner at work. Did you ever notice the vegetable prices at the supermarkets such as courgettes for $12.99 a kg, avocados for $3.50 each and tomatoes $8.99 – $11.00 a kg. The vegetables and fruits are far more expensive for everyone who can’t afford to buy. It is okay for most people who have high income and don’t have time to grow vegetables or fruits. We were lucky to have a large property and able to grow vegetables and fruits here. The last two years we managed to get plenty of vegetables and Feijoas for us and to share with family members and a couple of people I know who can’t afford.

In the city of Hamilton, there is a community garden for the people who don’t have a garden in their homes, flats or an apartments. One lady from Deaf Aotearoa and I established the first garden for the Hamilton Deaf-Hearing Impaoired people who wish to grow vegetables and how to grow any kind of vegetables. We would love to have more Deaf-Hearing Impaired people to come along and share with ideas on how to grow and save money. Any helpers of the family or friends are welcome to share with us. If you want to know more about this group – go to Facebook page – Waikato Deaf-Hearing Impaired Community Garden

Mmm, I wonder what Spring-Summer seasons will bring for us in 2016-2017.

Looking at many options from now to the future because my puzzling injury has been not diagnosis prior to the waiting list from January 2016. I have been told by my GP that the nurse of Neurology department that it may come between mid-August to September last week.  Blast – my project in garden planning is on hold because it is in late winter to Spring and it is a good time to start working on the second stage of our garden project in our home. The other problem is one of two workplaces where I am working, is not 100% to the decision of closing down or where I will be going…

I am starting looking for a job in order to earn extra income for our home, garden project and bills. There are no luck of finding jobs and many applicants I applied have been turned down. What a disappointed for me! Too many call centre where there are data entry, accounting in payable/receivable, bookkeeping and so on. That is a barrier for me because I am unable to hear the phone which I don’t need to answer the phone.  Speaking over the counter is not a problem as a frontline and in the past where I used to work as a Bank officer for BNZ and I spoke to many customers over the counter. The customers were aware of my deafness and they don’t have the problem with it.

I read an interesting article from Huffington Post last week and it was about ‘a wonderful opportunity’ for Deaf employees to work in Starbucks Cafe in US. It opened up many people who don’t know about people with disabilities or not aware of our skill to communicate and the abilities to work as an equal opportunity in many work places. I posted the article for you to read it.

Today we have a several Deaf cafès that runs by the Deaf Employees or partnerships with the largest business to support them. Here are a couple of the examples in Wellington

http://www.hotelwellington.co.nz/accessibility

http://www.co-ed.co.nz/http://www.co-ed.co.nz/

There are more than 8 Deaf cafès and restaurants around the world and they are spreading their news about their skills and abilities for everyone to communicate with them. The Deaf people are talking about their rights to work as an equal opportunity to everyone in the world.

I have been thinking of setting up a garden project or horticulture tutor in teaching Deaf people/people with learning disabilities even a tutor in literacy & numeracy for Deaf adult in the Waikato area. There is one place which provide for the Deaf community and it is a community garden under Grandview Community Garden. They are learning and supportive to us. BUT the main problem is funding and income for me to generate to establish the business to run or to find a business as a partnership with me.

The first crops grews by a disabled man and for us.

Our vegetable garden in one of the many garden plots in our home

This year my injury forces me to restrict from activity in the garden and working in the city of Hamilton. It was really frustrating that my garden projects has not starting up yet and I managed to do weeding, fencing and light pruning along with my partner during the weekend. It is a very limited of time for me to do gardening and the need of recovering before working in the city of Hamilton.

mmmm Where will I go from there?

• to continue to find job and earn income
• to continue to write books on Deaf History, Hamilton Deaf Units and my biography
• to continue to research in Deaf History
• to continue some of the garden projects from time to time
• to continue to make Deaf Adult literacy and numeracy in NZSL (video and materials)
• the lists so on…….

Who am I? mm I alway want to identify myself who am I, where do I come from and the possibility does anyone in the family has got a disability or not in the family ancestry.

I do not recognise myself as a deaf person until I was in high school. Every day I put my hearing aids on and take off from early age and my communication were oral and sign language. I lead an ordinary life as everyone else in the community. The only thing I do notice that I can not hear any sounds days or nights without hearing aids except vibration sounds. I lip read a lot when I am talking to any family, my partner, staff and friends around.

As a genealogist myself, I have been tracing my parents’ families since 1982. My late grandmother (Mama) – ‘Biddy’ Masters nee Watkinson passed away in 1979. Shorty – Poppa as we called him, left me one book and a few photos of our Masters and Watkinson’s family in 1981. He said that he does not wish to do research genealogy but he knew that I will do it because Mama always took me to visit cousins, aunties, uncles during the school holidays.I put Mama’ stuff in the storage box because I was working full time at the BNZ in 1981. The following year Shorty died in December 1982 and it was just a couple days after Christmas. Our families were collecting and sorting all the stuff at the Masters’ home in Hamilton East. One of my uncles took a large box of photos with him until a few years ago he gave me a large box of photos because he decided to not to keep it. He knew and understand what I am doing as a genealogist. That was happened after Poppa’s brother passed away. I was amazed how many photos and negatives slides that Mama and Poppa took photos for many years… I was also given a large box of Mama’s diaries too.

One day I came down with the flu and I decided to look through all the stuff in the storage box. I came across many photos and a book which Mama wrote down all the names of the families in the book. I was baffled at all the names of the people where Mama took me around many places in New Zealand during the school holidays. I asked my mother – Joan about this even my uncles… It turned out all the names of the people were related to us through Masters, Watkinson and Yates. I came to understand that Mama was a bit of genealogist since she read one article from England in the Waikato Times during the World Wars 2.  The article was about looking for Watkinson family who came out to New Zealand in or around 1840. Mama replied to the woman – Mrs Ellis of Nottingham, UK. They became friends for many years and one of our grand uncles went over to Nottingham for a holiday. It was Ernest Watkinson and he met a future wife who worked in Boots’ Chemist and a friend to the Ellis family.

From 1981, I start doing genealogy until now. My family ancestry goes back to England and Prussia from my first work in genealogy in 1981. Today in my DNA result showed that I have 50% from England, Wales and Scotland, 26% from Ireland, 16% from Scandinavia, 3% from Italy/Greece, 2% from Finland/North Russia, 2% from Europe East, <1% from Europe West and <1% from Iberian Peninsula.

Today I collect more than 5,000 names in my family ancestry from my mother and father’s side families. On my mother’s mother – Nana’s family as we called her, came from Prussia to New Zealand and left a bit of blank piece along with puzzle family connection for Nana (mum’s mother – Ruby).Her family – Rohde and Marsh and they grew up around Kings Country, Manawatu-Wanganui and other areas.I am still collecting the missing pieces of the Rohde family for my mother’s wish. My mother’s father – Gee’s family came from Somerset, England via Scotland and Wales including Ireland. My father’s father – Shorty/Poppa’s family came from London, Sussex, Kent and Midlands. My father’s mother – Mama’s family came from Nottinghamshire, Warwickshireshire, Yorkshires and upper Midlands.I keep in touch with the cousins and new found cousins each year. For many years until 2008, I visited my cousins and their families in England, Australia and USA. I am firmly planted in the ground of my home and settle down to pursuit on works and research now.

I have not been able to trace further back to Itlay/Greece even Spain prior to my discovery in my DNA result. So how, during my travelling, I alway drew back to Ireland, Italy, Europe, England, Wales and Scotland and it made me feel connections there. I am so delight to discover that I am a mix of Irish, English and European blood and my full interests in the histories and cultures were Irish and European. I love Italian cultures but how am I connect to this one?

Moving on, I decide to have a look at the occupations from my family ancestry and to my discovery while doing research through Ancestry website – Police officer, Music teacher, Goldmaker, Piano teacher, Solictior clerk, painter and the list of occupations so on. I alway knew that our family are labourer, farmers, politician, clerk, driver and bushman etc.

What about disability, health genetics and twin/triplet in the family??

Yes, we have disability and genetic health in our family ancestry during my research. It showed me a wide range of health genetics like heart disease, Paget’s Disease, diabetes, cancer and very little in disability area such as learning disabilites, deaf, physical disabilities and mental illness. Yes, we do have a set of twins and triplets in the family ancestry. Currently we are having a twin through my sister’s son and his new wife…

Definitely in my life is I am today….. I was born deaf by rubella that does not stop me from doing anything and anywhere I go and live around. I grew up in a family of four chlidren and a young solo mother with supportive family and friends. To me, I am a bit of spoilt rotten by Mama according to my family, not just of my deafness she cared about. I was often a bit of a “Tom girl” who did the crazy and wild things throughout my life in the past, full of surprises to everyone that I can do anythings.  I am still doing some or little crazy activity today.My late grandparents and other families taught me an example of life meaning even simple life to do things around at home and in the garden. I return to live in the rural as a home living because it is in my connection. This is where I am belong becasue of my family upbringing in an old fashionway and to continue to work with my skill. I continue to use my skill to survivial and basic essentials expereince from my grandparents of my mother and father’s sides. I often miss my travelling days….. but the prices are stupid and gone up very expensive. I am grateful that I did my travelling days between 1981 to 2009 and the prices to travel, staying, etc were reasonable for me to afford it.

A home in the rural with plenty of fruit trees, lovely flowering and vegetable gardens, a water pump hut, flat section – 1 acre (connected to one of my family -Watkinson’s wife’s family who owned farming around here), a partner with two dogs.

What more could I ask for!

“The problem is not that the (deaf) students do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen. “- Rev Jesse L. Jackson ( American Civil Rights Activist, Minister).

Report in UK = BBC news in Down’s Syndrome people finding hard to get job

Pondering on the problems for people with disabilities finding jobs, working lower class in the workforce or unable to get a job.

Everyday we read many articles, stories and reports about workforce in the medias. Many people left the job due to financial problems, tired of working in the same job for many years or moving to a new location with the same company.

What about people with disabilities?? Does anyone know about it? How many people with disabilities are out of work or finding difficult to get a job in New Zealand?

Powerful message to urge many people with disabilities to have job equal right as everyone else

This photo show us really an excellent example that many Deaf workers who are working in a cafe – The Tradeblock Cafe in Melbourne,Australia in 2013. Deaf cafe in Melbourne, Australia

There are more Deaf cafes around the world.  It is starting to open up and reaching out to all customers to learn to communicate and enjoys their meals/drinks. Yes, we do have one in Wellington Deaf cafe in Wellington    We used to have one cafe in Auckland but they close down a long time ago while I was in overseas.

The main problems were the detail of the job roles such as call centre, answering the phones, face to face receptions and it was no match for some people with disabilities for example a deaf person who can not speak on the phone. In the Job advertising, they put down “looking for an experience”, “must have phone manners and excellent communicate, “good pay and hours”,”…. could be an entry level opportunity …… aspirations for a career in sales. Ideally the successful applicant will have a strong background in sales and customer service and have previously worked in a retail sales role.” and so on….

There are plenty of job advertising in the media like Facebook, Seeks, Indeed or Trademe. Not everyone has got a computer or laptop to access this kind of job seeking/advertising from home, in the library, in the government buildings such as WINZ.

Many people with disabilities put thousands of job applicants through Job Advertising and here are a couple articles for you to read it and think about it. I am sure there are many people with disabilities went through many years and no luck of getting a job. I was one of them for about 2-3 years and still looking for a different direction of work at the moment due to my health. Yes I am working under two different part time jobs but not enough…

Finally got the job after 950 applicants for 5 years

One successful Down’s Syndrome man got the job

WINZ (NZ Work and Income) – it is really a horror experience for many people including people with disabilities. But sometime it can be okay if there is little help on benefit or finding an odd job. I went through benefit for many years since I left Banking job (1981-1999) until I managed to find part time jobs which helped me a little bit more to pay the mortgage and bills. I chose to take redundancy than shifting to a new location and remaining as a Data Entry/Bank Officer role. I asked them if they were willing to promote in the next level as a bank manager/team leader even I was involved with banking for nearly 20 years. They refused to give me promoted and they said I can’t hear the phone and a bit worry of language barrier. Shame on them – many of customers who came and spoke to me first than other staff because of my experience, accurate to solved the problem in banking and prompt to answer their demands within 2-3 days for their enquires. Of course they knew that I am deaf and it does not bother them. I was careful to balance the income between paid salary from work and benefit income according to WINZ guideline rules. However I decided to quit on receiving benefit because of too much paperwork every years and WINZ staff poking in my life and background. For me, living on benefit was not helping because of my ‘disability’ – deaf and the disability allowance does not cover inflation financial cost of living and special equipment. Because WINZ have a limit of support payments under disability allowance and they don’t keep up with increasing inflation/financial cost of living and equipment such as hearing aids costs $4,100.00 a pair for many years….I live with 2 hearing aids, special equipment such as flashing lights for door bell, text mobile, transport to/from work/meetings and health issues. I use interpreter during the workshop or meeting and I don’t pay for the interpreter because there are some funding by Isigns or the manager of the work paid for the interpreter. People with disabilities rely on funding and income for ‘accessible’ equipment around the home and workplace, interpreters in the meeting, workshop, to become independent at work and home.

Many of the businesses in NZ (New Zealand) are not so friendly accessible to people with disabilities. The worst of all are the people’s attitudes and the lack of understanding in disabilities or know a very little understanding if they have got a family or friend who is disabled. Also most of the business fear of scaring away their customer, paying an extra cost to make the building more friendly accessible for everyone to come and go by losing their financial profits if they employed a disabled staff in the work. That is so stupid… especially if the building is not friendly and accessible then we won’t go there.

In the fact of financial loss by many businesses were the result of the lack of profits in cash-flow, overspent products and unable to sell off, high cost of selling marketing, high cost of rent for the building, not enough advertising for people to buy products and so on. Online marketing becoming more popular for everyone by internet or phone marketing..

Disable people finding job really difficult in US

Here is an interesting article by a person who researched and published by WHO (World Health Organisation).

clear facts on Deaf people in the employment/unemployment by WHO

Economic impact

In developing countries, children with hearing loss and deafness rarely receive any schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate. Among those who are employed, a higher percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of employment compared with the general workforce. Improving access to education and vocational rehabilitation services, and raising awareness especially among employers about the needs of people with hearing loss, would decrease unemployment rates among this group.

In addition to the economic impact of hearing loss at an individual level, hearing loss substantially affects social and economic development in communities and countries.

From Disability Employment via Disabled World: Law and clear example/message to everyone about Equal Opportunity work

Can we teach people in work to learn about? It is really important for them to take a good look at themselves and where they have done wrong, perhaps change the attitude….

How can business to learn and understand that there are better chance for many disabled people who have skills

excellent example based on one of the largest business in US that hired disabled people

looking at the rate of percent in Deaf people in US

One of the writer who wrote Deaf blog and it is worth reading it….

Here is another quote from 2006 – a deaf person posted the blog Unemployment in the Deaf Community…….

According to this link in ASL: NetSignNews.com – Unemployment Rates In The Deaf Community The unemployment in general public (USA) is 4 to 6 percent. Among the Deaf Community in USA, it is 60 percent. Among the Deaf Community in Australia, it is 67 percent. In the developing countries, 90 percent of the deaf people aren’t working. Why am I not surprised?

Our vegetable garden in one of the many garden plots in our home

The first crops grews by a disabled man and for us.

We looked back to the first Christmas in 2014 and that was the year we moved here as our new home. We have the Masters, Follett/Armstrong and some of the Wongs family shared with us for Christmas lunch with us here.

Today it was just four of us and spend a wonderful relaxing day… Not any of these families came to see or share with us for lunch or dinner this year… They choose to be somewhere else’s place today. We were hoping that they can join with us more often because we been to their places so many times over the years. Our home have got plenty of spaces and freely to walk around the fields even to play cricket or golf than in someone’s place. A lovely bbq with a couple umbrellas for the courtyard and chairs/tables everywhere – under many large trees for shades or in the courtyard where we have sailcloth.

We will visit mum and a brother down in Ralgan in a couple days – we don’t really want to visit the city of Hamilton over the holidays. The last time, mum and my aunty visited here was in Autumn – just my mum and aunty. My sister visited last April only. My niece with her family came down here for a visit from San Francisco early this year for the first time after 2 years in the city of Hamilton (at my sister’s place). Another person came here often, was a disabled man who I support and assisted him throughout years. He loves and enjoys here as a relaxing place or a memory childhood of his farm in Walton and other places where he grows up. His last visit was a couple months ago. So he and his brother of Wellington,  will be joining with us at the end of this month or next month… He will be turning 65 years old next month.

We love our home and it gave us spacious to do gardening, woodworking in either three large buildings – a shed/double garage and a double carport, dogs runs, an escape haven from the city of Hamilton. During the summer, we choose to sit under large trees anywhere as shade bring us cool, joy to relax and to look at the gardens filled with flowers and vegetables. Everywhere is flat and easily accessible land, not just hilly, two or three stories houses/apartments and high slope land. Our home fills with loves, laughters, joys and experience here. We lost one dog last year and we gain another dog to replaced the one we lost. It gave us joy and laughter here.

Nearby our home – there are plenty of orchards and we still visit any one of the orchards such as Olde Berry Farms, Apple Orchards, Blueberry Orchards. I often stop by on my way home from work in the city of Hamilton. It is handy for me to stop at any orchards and buy fruits or milk even ice cream/ice yoghurt cream. We grew lots of vegetables since we moved here and I made lots of chutneys, jams and relishes.  I gave fejios to local schools around here and my works including the people I supported/assisted. One funny thing i recalled stopping at Morrinsville Countdown car park and I saw a motor scooter parked in the car park. 

That photo was taken in April 2015 because my partner gave me a new car for birthday. I am still advocating people/children with disabilities around New Zealand. My focus area is rural country now because there are many people/children even families with a disabled child/adult living in rural and they are feeling isolated from the city.

We learn to read weather signs like rain, frost, wind here. If I have to go to work in the city, then I will have a spare rain coat in the car for the city. Because if I leave here in the morning with a fine weather and by the time I arrive in the city, it will be raining.

Dogs love here where there are plenty of furry animals in the early hours of mornings or nights…. They chased out to get it even they willing to bring inside the house if I am asleep. Better not!! There are abundance of rabbits/bunnies, possums, all kinds of birds and hedgehogs here.

We are looking forward a New Year especially our visitors of my partner for bbq, and the person and his brother, I am supporting/assisting for visit……………… Who knows if any of my families may turn up to visit if they are willing to come and see the changing of our works here since last Christmas 2014.