How to Manage Hearing Loss in the Workplace

The workplace is a challenging environment for everyone, but these challenges become even more difficult for people with physical constraints such as hearing loss. As with any social gathering, people with hearing loss are often left isolated at the workplace. In addition, they also face difficulties in communication with their colleagues. 

How Can You Manage Hearing Issues at Work?

There is no universal answer for this. Managing hearing loss varies from organization to organization according to a firm’s policies, local laws, the nature of jobs and the amount of interaction with peers. However, the onus is on both the employee (who has hearing issues) and the employer to create a conducive work environment.

What Can an Employee Do?

According to a study published by The Work (an academic journal), people come up with their own strategies to manage hearing loss at the workplace. To illustrate, one respondent reported that she seated herself close to the speaker during meetings.

If you are an employee experiencing hearing loss, it is important to let your colleagues and boss know about your situation and provide them with instructions to make communication easier. People with hearing issues should set up terms of communication with other people; for example, you can ask people to speak louder or provide instructions in writing.

If you struggle at meetings, you can request an interpreter to write down the minutes of the meeting. Besides human support, there are also special devices available to support your communication needs. Conversation amplifier and amplified telephones are two of such devices. There are also special devices that convert calls to text messages. 

If you are working for a small company, the employer’s budget would dictate the provision of such facilities provided to you. Instead, you can turn to a trusted colleague to assist you with communication. For more information, explore your company’s policies regarding employees with hearing loss or simply discuss the matter with your boss.

What Can an Employer Do?

As an employer, speak with your employees regarding their needs for special assistance. Such facilities can often be provided on the basis of cost-sharing with several non-profit organizations that support workers with disabilities. The employer must also inculcate a culture of mutual understanding among employees. The core purpose of creating a mutual understanding among employees is to ensure people with hearing loss are not left isolated or discriminated.

It is also important to go through your local laws to see what rules they have in place regarding people with disabilities at the workplace; the United States has the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. 

Finally, an employer should provide equal opportunity to all the employees. Discrimination based on disabilities is prohibited by law. It is necessary to recognize people with hearing impairment as valuable contributors, and their contributions should be seen in the same light as those of people with normal hearing.