Shifting the Dialog, Shifting the Culture by Stephanie W. Cawthon

Author:Stephanie W. Cawthon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press
Published: 2017-04-19T04:00:00+00:00

Thinking Outside the Box

Many deaf adults may find the persistent challenges to gaining access to the workplace frustrating enough that they essentially give up looking for a traditional job. This possibility is evidenced by the statistics presented at the beginning of this chapter that reveal high numbers of deaf individuals have opted out of the traditional labor force. One proactive strategy for some deaf individuals is to start their own businesses. This comment from Danny Blalock, who started his auto repair shop in 2008, addresses the challenges and offers a solution: “Because of communication. A lot of my [deaf ] friends have had bad experiences at auto shops[;] they felt they were getting ripped off,” said Blalock. “Our goal for our business is to keep growing; we’d like to hire more mechanics, deaf mechanics, to give them opportunity to grow their resume.” (Brandeis, 2015). Deaf business owners clearly see a need in the deaf community that they can meet by providing services that are fully accessible, and they are committed to providing employment opportunities to other deaf people. Deaf business owners also provide services to the greater community, enabled by current technology platforms that allow them to operate on a more equitable playing field, with increased access to text-based communication or video relay interpretation.

Pressman (1999) explored characteristics of deaf entrepreneurs and small business owners in her master’s thesis. In her study of 86 men and women, she found that deaf business owners were motived not only by the desire to be their own bosses, but also to earn more money than they would by working in more traditional career paths. Attitudes and communication challenges were noted as the biggest obstacles to overcome as they were first starting out—facing the doubts that deaf people can start a business and struggles with communicating with hearing customers. More than 15 years have passed since the time this study was published, and the number of deaf-owned businesses has grown exponentially. This growth may be due, in part, to increasing access to text-based communication and video relay services. Social media may also help deaf business owners build connections to community and take advantage of changing attitudes about deaf people. Deaf business owners explain that strong role models, particularly peers in their community, were important sources of support as they worked to achieve their business goals (Pressman, 1999). Deaf-owned businesses are a part of the larger community, both in person and on social media. Today’s interconnectedness and advocacy platforms are ways to highlight and strengthen entrepreneurship as possible avenues for career satisfaction and success.

Peer-to-peer companies, as employers of deaf workers, have also started to capitalize on this interconnectedness and image building. Uber, in particular, has made a concerted effort to connect with the deaf community as a potential source of employment. Founded in 2009, Uber is part of the emerging peer-to-peer economy, facilitated, in large part, by smart phone apps and the ability to exchange information and provide services via visual platforms (e.g., text-based communication, maps showing locations of drivers, and secured, online payment methods).

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