Being a deaf developer
Chiming in here - I&#x27;ve got congenital profound loss in both ears, but I have a cochlear implant. I&#x27;ve grown in my career over the last 15 years from junior dev up to my current engineering management role, and what I&#x27;ve observed was:<p>1) The biggest hurdle in most cases is communication, especially in meetings. That being said, I still do fine in them, because I rely on lip reading as well as vocal cues&#x2F;context, but I also rely on my coworkers to be understanding from time to time, and they are.<p>2) Slack has been hugely beneficial to me, but it requires the organization to be engaged with it.<p>3) I have accented speech because I drop some consonants (f and s sounds mostly), and it can be a challenge for some to clearly understand me shortly after meeting me. This usually resolves itself after 2-3 weeks.<p>4) Job interviews: I&#x27;m always up front about what I can and can&#x27;t do - this usually comes up around the topic of phone interviews, I can&#x27;t do them. People appreciate this, and I make it clear that I&#x27;m not ashamed or hindered by my disability. The confidence goes a long way. If you come off unsure, then of course others will be unsure. I&#x27;ve definitely had interviews where there was a communication disconnect, but typically that comes along with other circumstances that make the job a poor fit. I&#x27;ve never had the situation where the job&#x2F;culture&#x2F;people fit was there but it didn&#x27;t happen because of a communication issue.<p>For other deaf developers out there, just own it and show that there is no hurdle out there that you can&#x27;t overcome, and you will be successful. Always be trying to help others and others will help you in return.