Can Deaf Person be Airline Mechanic?
May 2000
One of the current issues in the hearing loss world is the ability of
people with hearing loss to perform certain jobs. There are clearly some
jobs that people with significant hearing loss can't do; there are
clearly many jobs for which significant hearing loss doesn't matter.
What's difficult are the jobs in between and how to determine if hearing
is really required for a job. Here's an interesting story that
illustrates the point. I'd love to hear your opinion on this situation.
In 1997 John Sprague was hired as a mechanic for United Airlines in
Boston. He held both a pilot's license and a mechanic's license, and
seemed ideally suited for the job. United Airlines must have agreed.
Two days before he was to begin work, United changed their minds and
informed Mr. Sprague that he would not be hired. So he sued, and his
case has finally come up in federal court. Mr. Sprague's attorney is
arguing that this is a classic case of discrimination under the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He also contends that this is a
pure case, because United Airlines admits that the only reason for the
withdrawal of the job offer is because Mr. Sprague is deaf.
Mr. Sprague has been employed as a mechanic for a small airline at a
regional airport for 13 years. He expects his current supervisor to
testify on his behalf.
United lawyers said safety concerns prevented United from following
through on the offer. They also said that a mechanic must be able to
check out the entire airplane, including the entertainment systems and
the flight recorders. They argued that Mr. Sprague would be unable to
perform these duties, and he would not be able to communicate with other
workers, the air traffic control tower, or the San Francisco maintenance
headquarters.
Mr. Sprague, who wears two digital aids, says he can hear most of
what he needs to do the job.
