OT - but need suggestion on PWD ....

[LittleBit]

I hope all the good CC members who deal with some of this day to day can help me with a dilemna.

 

I have a terrific volunteer where I work who has a disablity that is causing her speech to deteriorate. When she calls in, she has a very hard time getting her words out in an understandable way (very slow, every word is a struggle, she often sounds as though she is on the edge of tears/nervous breakdown (she's not - she just sounds that way), and often hangs up mid sentance because she can't get her words out).

 

She also has trouble walking, but we can put her in spots where that is not

really a problem. But she won't get a handicap parking sticker so she can't park in the lot that would be ALOT closer to where we work.

 

How do I get her to use a TTY machine or at least a relay phone operator? Or even email for her requests? She's a great volunteer, but because it's getting impossible to understand her (at least over the phone, when she's in front of someone you can still usually figure out what she's asking) it's becoming increasingly difficult to schedule her or even answer any questions...

 

PLEASE! I'm not trying to be insensitive or offensive - I do really appreciate all the effort this woman goes through, and I know it is not her "fault". I'm just trying to come up with reasonable accomodations, but she doesn't want to use any of them (she won't get a handicap tag for the car so we always have to try to find golf cart to take her from the lot to check-in, where she then has to wait until someone with a cart can then take her over to her position - a hang tag would give her the ability to drive to check=in and her position) and I know someone talked to her about not understanding her over the phone and maybe she could email us questions (we are trying to do everything with our volunteers by email now) and was told that she doesn't have email).

 

Help!

[Queenie2]

I think you should talk with her very honestly and explain to her, just the way you explained to us, that sbecasue of her aphasia and mobility issues, she needs some accommodations so she can better serve your org. Emphasize that you think she's a great volunteer, but explain that your staff can't understand her and you need to work out a way she's comfortable with so she can communicate with them via phone.

 

Same with parking. Just say that you don't have the resources to send a golf cart for her, but that if she had a placard she could park up front and be independent.

 

Stress the independence, and explain she really will have more if she accepts some accommodations.

 

You have to be honest, and not just make a suggestion, but pretty much say that you do have to make some changes so she can continue to fulfil her volunteer duties.

 

And emphazise that you do want her continue volunteering.

 

Candy

[etoile]

Does she know about things like Hearing Carry-Over or Speech-to-Speech relay? For Speech-to-Speech, they have specially trained operators, and no TTY is required to use it. Maryland has a good example of Speech-to-Speech, which you can read about here:

http://www.mdrelay.org/how_sts.html