Deaf employees thrive at Amazon center in Schodack
Ronnie Lim and Cristiano de Castro Assumpcao Koyama (l-R) are both deaf and they are teaching sign language at Schodack's Amazon facility. There are a half-dozen deaf employees. Lim is from the Philippines and Koyama is from Brazil.
There are advantages to being deaf when working in an Amazon fulfillment center.
You are immune to the clatter and buzz of boxes being moved around, forklifts driving back and forth and conveyors belts running 24/7 (Forklifts are restricted to clearly-marked lanes to eliminate the danger of getting run over).
Sudden noises, such as a box being dropped or a machine starting up or shutting down go unnoticed.
“It’s good for focusing. The visual field of the deaf is better than listeners, this is good for organization in the work space,” writes Cristiano de Castro Assumpcao Koyama.
“Some co-workers are shocked for a few seconds, thinking how to communicate.”
De Castro Assumpcao Koyama is among the half dozen deaf employees at the company’s bustling Schodack facility and one of the two who act as interpreters for other deaf workers using American Sign Language. It’s part of a push starting in 2018 by Amazon to make their workplaces inclusive for the deaf.
Also interpreting is Ronnie Lim.
De Castro Assumpcao Koyama is a native of Brazil while Lim is from the Philippines.
They wear a sign on their vests stating “I am deaf,” and coworkers now know that they can wave at them or write things down on a pad and paper when they need to communicate.
Both read and write English and they say the system works pretty well.
“I have a label on the back of my vest where it says "I am Deaf" so that my co-workers and anyone in the area could see that I could not hear clearly or speak. With that, they'll know that that they can’t yell at me. Hehehe,” Lim writes.
The two came to Amazon from diverse backgrounds.
De Castro Assumpcao Koyama was in his native Brazil teaching sign language when he learned about the job in Schodack. His husband was in the Albany area and he’s been here for about a year.
Lim was in England as part of a cultural exchange with Voluntary Services Overseas working on education and social welfare offices for the deaf.
He knows British and Filipino Sign Language.
Even though both are learning American sign language, coming to the Capital Region and working at Amazon had its own learning curve.
“The main obstacle to overcome in adapting to work is time and traditional technology,” explains de Castro Assumpcao Koyama. “For example, when a manager calls for a small meeting, then looks for a notebook to use … this causes a delay.” He added that traditional walkie talkies have no text messaging.
Lim says he’s a proficient lip reader, but with COVID-19 restrictions including masks that option is off the table. Some employees have used plastic face shields but those can fog up while talking.
“Now, we've resolved to writing on paper,” he says.
De Castro Assumpcao Koyama and Lim are the first two deaf employees at the center. The company is working with an on-demand translation program for the deaf and they have put up posters with the American Sign Language alphabet, numbers, signs for various emotions and other key phrases.
The facility’s human resources associate, Kennedy Thompson, has ordered T-shirts that say “Amazon” for them. And they’ve taught her to sign some phrases, including “Go Bills!”
“I want to inspire not just my community but others as well that despite our disability, we can still thrive in the everyday community and make a difference in a lot of people’s lives.”
Lim says he intends "to remain here and continue to advocate" for associates who are deaf or working with hearing loss.
