Life's coincidences

Alicja has worked as a technical draftsman at Erichsen & Horgen since 1987. On January 1, 2022, Erichsen & Horgen became part of Multiconsult.

– I am involved in projects regarding demolition, dismantling, modification and design of pipe systems. Right now, I am working on HVAC systems in a commercial building in Ruseløkkveien and the rehabilitation of Stortorvet 7, among other things, she says.

One of the largest projects Alicja has been involved in is the Opera, which she worked on for eight years.

– I am very proud of that, she says.

Alicja grew up in the town of Ruciane-Nida in eastern Poland in the 1960s, while the country was ruled by the Soviet Union.

– When I was about to start kindergarten, I was sent to a school for the deaf in the town of Wejcherowo, which is located in the very north of Poland, far from my hometown. That's why I had to live in a boarding school, but my parents were good at visiting me, she says.

At the school for the deaf, it was strictly forbidden to communicate with sign language.

– We had to use our voices, and since I come from a hearing family, I was used to it at home. That’s why I was often chosen to recite verses from the school stage in front of an audience. If the teachers at school saw us using signs under our desks, we were told off and had to stand in the corner of shame. It was very strict, but today I am grateful that I can speak with my voice too, she says.

Day job

While Alicja was in high school, a technical construction college was built in Wejcherowo.

– I thought it was really cool, and I wanted to start there. After I graduated as a technical draftsman, I worked for three years in a plumbing company, she says.

One day, Alicja visited the local swimming pool and met a handsome man who was a few years older than her.

– It turned out that he had been in my older sister’s class at the deaf school, so he knew who I was. I fell madly in love, and eventually we got married, she says.

Alicja’s sister and her husband had moved to Sweden, and in January 1985 Alicja and her husband went there to visit.

– Times were tough in Poland, and we were used to standing in long lines in the middle of the night to buy basic goods with coupons. Sweden was so peaceful and colorful, and you could buy everything in the shops. That’s why we decided to apply for residency there, Alicja says.

After three rejections, the couple headed for Norway instead.

– We didn’t know anyone there, but went straight to the police station and applied for a residence permit. We lived in a hotel for a few months while the application was processed, she says.

Alicja was pregnant with the couple’s first child, and right after their daughter was born, they were told that their application had been approved.

– We went to Ål folk high school where we learned Norwegian and sign language. My husband eventually got a job at Skådalen School for the Deaf in Oslo, and when our daughter was about to start kindergarten, I registered as unemployed. At a meeting with Nav, it turned out that one of the case managers knew someone at Erichsen & Horgen, and called them to see if they had any vacancies. They actually needed a technical draftsman, and I was allowed to come in for an interview. I was so nervous, and even though I had an interpreter with me, I was afraid of misunderstandings. That’s why I was surprised when they asked if I could start the following Monday, she says.

Useful tool

As the only deaf person in the company, Alicja was excited about how communicating with her colleagues would work.

– No one knew sign language, and in addition to being deaf, I had a background from another country, so there were many things that were a bit challenging at first. I went around and greeted everyone, and even though some were a bit unsure at first, it went really well in the end. I rolled up my sleeves and learned Norwegian technical terms and concepts, she says.

Alicja shared an office with two colleagues, and every Friday they had a regular meeting with coffee and cake.

– I taught them to use signs, and there was a lot of laughter and crude jokes. From 1989, sign language courses were regularly arranged at Erichsen & Horgen, and it made everything much easier, says Alicja

When the PC arrived in the early 1990s, Alicja quickly realized that it was a useful tool for her.

– At a meeting with management, I was asked how I, as a deaf person, would benefit from a PC. “I have both a brain and eyes, and can read, write and learn new things,” I replied. Shortly afterwards, I got my first PC, she says.

Colleagues learn sign language

Alicja is enjoying her time at Multiconsult, where she has made many new colleagues.
– The only thing I miss is auto-generated text in digital meetings. If I am called into meetings at short notice, I don’t always have time to get an interpreter, and it would be great if the text came up automatically when others were speaking, she says.

Alicja rarely experiences communication problems with her colleagues at Multiconsult.

– I definitely feel like part of the community at work. Sometimes some people are a little unsure at first, but they usually get used to my voice quickly, and then I read their lips. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand some dialects, but then we just write instead. Several of her colleagues have also learned sign language, she says.

Alicja’s two daughters are now 36 and 32 years old, and both they and her two young grandchildren are hearing.

– I love being with my grandchildren, and they learn sign language at the same time as they speak. They have, among other things, a children's book with signs, and they pay close attention to when my daughters and I use signs, she says.

In her free time, Alicja enjoys traveling the most.
– I have a group of friends with whom I travel on trips, and we also usually meet at each other's homes once a month and have dinner together. I also enjoy doing needlework, she says.

At least once a year, Alicja travels home to Poland and visits her family.

– My mother is 96 years old and it is important for me to be with her when I can, Alicja concludes.