There is no such thing as eight to five days in my life. Quite often holidays are compromised by pressing projects. There are a few deaf and hard of hearing students in our program, but the majority are hearing. I use an interpreter for group meetings and for lectures to large classes. A Ph.D. is necessary to work your way up the tenure-track ladder.
All faculty start in a lecturer position.
From there, they work their way up to assistant professor, associate professor, and finally full professor. Having good people skills, a love for learning, and a desire to publish articles, journals, books, etc. is very helpful in this job. A person must be willing to learn and use the latest advancements in teacher instruction and computer technology. Overall, a willingness to continue learning new things as you teach is an integral quality for a good professor. Once you have achieved tenure-track, you receive full benefits, including health, vision, and dental.