Deaf awareness in the workplace can be a huge problem.
In order for employers to fully integrate the deaf person into their workforce, it is important that they understand the needs of the deaf person, and make employees aware of the problems that can arise, not all of which are immediately obvious!
Silent Sounds UK Ltd can provide an effective consultancy service to ensure that your workplace is "deaf friendly" and also Deaf Awareness training to ensure that your key staff fully understand how to deal with deaf people in the workplace.
Over the next 2 weeks we are going to be passing on our top ten tips on Deaf awareness in the workplace.
If you would like more information, please check our website http://www.silent-sounds.co.uk/blog.php or call our office and speak to one of our helpful staff.
1/ First day at work
For everyone, a new job brings a series of anxieties about the unknown. New workmates, new workplace, new rules and expectations. Almost everyone has some uncertainty. For most people, this shows up as not being able to remember anyone´s names - and it takes quite a while to adjust to that. However, for a Deaf person, the first day with new hearing workmates is a much bigger trip into the unknown. Not that Deaf people are not used to dealing with hearing people - they have to do it every day in their lives. But it is just that these hearing people will be there everyday from now on.
It helps if people have name badges; it helps if locations and jobs are well labelled. It helps if things that have to be done are visually labelled.
This includes the need to have some attention to facial expression. A Deaf person probably cannot lip-read you well and so will rely on your facial expression to try to figure out if that was a welcome, an unimportant comment, an instruction or an explanation. Be aware of what your face says - frowns, unhappiness, sulks are very easily read by Deaf people. Make sure your face says what your words are also saying.
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