Approximately 15% of American adults experience some trouble hearing. Because it is so widespread, most workplaces have procedures in place to accommodate those with hearing loss. Let’s look at a of couple workplace accommodations as well as some personal measures you can take to make working with hearing loss a little easier.
Workplace Accommodations
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with hearing loss. These accommodations may include but are not limited to:
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. If needed, some employers may provide ASL interpreters for meetings and other interpersonal interactions.
- Written notes for meetings. Written notes can help an individual with hearing loss follow along in meetings more easily. Try requesting notes or an itinerary before the meeting to help you stay informed.
- Captioning software. Most video-call technology comes with a captioning option. If you are attending meetings in person, you may be able to request speech-to-text captioning software to help you follow along and participate in meetings.
- Changes in seating arrangement. Certain seats or locations may lend to better hearing. You can request a seat closest to the presenter in meetings or more centrally located in the office to help you stay more informed.
- Written memos. Employers can provide written memos of all announcements to ensure you are not missing critical information.
Personal Accommodations
Outside of company accommodations, there are a couple of personal changes you can make to facilitate easier communication in the workplace, including but not limited to:
- Wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids have a microphone, amplifier and speaker that take in sound, amplify it and transmit it directly into the ear canal. The small but technologically advanced devices work with multiple levels of hearing loss and can help create ease in workplace communication.
- Inform your coworkers of your hearing loss. If you feel comfortable, informing your coworkers of your hearing loss will give them the opportunity to make personal accommodations, such as looking directly at you while they speak or rephrasing misunderstood sentences.
Using some or all of these accommodations can help relieve workplace stress and may even leave you feeling more energized at the end of the day. You may even have enough leftover social energy to join your coworkers for after-work dinner at Black Canyon Restaurant.
Contact Ear, Nose & Throat Associates today to speak to an audiologist about managing and treating your hearing loss.