The Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) recently carried out a survey to mark the start of Deaf Awareness Week, which ran from 1st - 7th May 2006. The survey showed that only 63% of deaf and hard of hearing people of working age are in employment, compared to 75% of the national work force. The RNID is urging employers to raise awareness of the different types of deafness and the different forms of communication used, such as sign language and lip reading. The RNID also urges employers to take steps towards creating more accessible workplaces.
Issues such as a basic lack of deaf awareness and attitudes of potential employers represents serious barriers for deaf and hard of hearing people seeking work. Over half (53%) of those surveyed said that the "attitude of employers" was one of the main barriers preventing them from finding employment. These barriers also restrict career prospects for those already in employment. Over half (51%) of those within work felt they had been held back from promotion or developing their careers as a result of their deafness and 34% felt their job didn’t make full use of their qualifications.
Cheryl Cullen, Director of the Employment Training and Skills Service (ETSS) at RNID, commented:
"Deaf and hard of hearing people represent a talented and skilled, but largely untapped, labour resource. Every deaf and hard of hearing person is capable of working with the right support. At a time of real skills shortages in key sectors of the economy, the country cannot afford to neglect the vast pool of talent represented by deaf and hard of hearing people."
Further results from the study showed that:
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55% of respondents in work reported feeling isolated at work due to their deafness
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24% respondents found it difficult to communicate with their work colleagues
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75% respondents felt that the situation would be improved if their employer provided deaf awareness training to their staff
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43% of employers did not provide any training
Employers have a legal duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace and provide support.
Examples of effective methods to increase deaf awareness in the workplace include the following:
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Make sure the deaf or hard of hearing person is seated where they can see everyone, rather than facing a wall, as this could lead them to feel isolated from the office environment.
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When approaching a deaf or hard of hearing person from behind, try to attract their attention by either tapping on their shoulders or waving next to them.
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Include deaf and hard of hearing people in meetings by providing the right communication support for the individual, whether it be a sign language interpreter, speech to text operator, note taker or a lip speaker. Deaf and hard of hearing people can get funding from Access To Work for reasonable adjustments in the workplace, which can pay for communication support and equipment.
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Be aware of deaf and hard of hearing people in the workplace, for example if you have to suddenly evacuate the building in the event of a fire, make sure they are made aware of the alarm. Employers should also install effective fire alarms - this can be alarms with flashing warning beacons or a vibrating pager. Employers should provide necessary equipment for deaf and hard of hearing employees as part of health and safety measures.
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Install an induction loop system in meeting rooms to help hearing aid users, or provide portable induction loop systems – these are cheap and effective.
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Make textphones available for deaf and hard of hearing staff, these allow them to communicate with hearing people by telephone.
Further information on Deaf Awareness Week can be found on the UK Council on Deafness website: Deaf Awareness Week
The RNID website can be found here: RNID.org.uk
