Common difficulties

• Many Deaf or Hard of Hearing people face barriers before even setting foot into the workplace, some of the challenges include: 

  • Employers making assumptions about different people's abilities 

  • Limited understanding of Deaf awareness and workplace accommodations 

  • Recruitment processes that rely heavily on phone calls 

  • Interviews that are not accessible to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

  • Concerns from employers about the costs of accommodations 

Deaf and Hard of Hearing people often experience lower quality levels of getting a job and lower outcomes from it. They also experience low employment rates, which means they need to apply for many, many jobs before actually securing one. 

• A lot of Deaf or Hard of Hearing people experience discrimination throughout the whole recruitment process, and sometimes even after getting the job. Some of the difficulties include: 

  • Being overlooked because of their hearing loss

  • Employers focus on limitations rather than skills and qualifications

  • Interviewers are unwilling to provide communication supports 

  • Bias and stereotypes about productivity or workplace performance 

This discrimination can prevent qualified candidates from being given equal opportunities 

• Communication is one of the biggest barriers when it comes to workplaces, especially if there are lots of different languages and cultural backgrounds. Some of the challenges that may come up are: 

  • Colleagues speak without facing them 

  • Language barriers/accents 

  • Information is being shared verbally only 

  • Multiple people speaking at once 

  • Staff meetings move too quickly 

  • Important discussions happen unexpectedly

Missing important information affects the ability to work effectively and safely and creates unnecessary stress and anxiety. 

• Meetings can be difficult for Deaf or Hard of Hearing employees because: 

  • Difficulty following group discussions 

  • People interrupting one another 

  • Lack of captions being used or lack of interpreters 

  • Poor seating arrangements that make lip-reading difficult

  • Missing important decisions or updates

• Many workplaces heavily rely primarily on using telephones as a form of communication with other employees and customers, which makes things very difficult, such as: 

  • Taking customer calls, 

  • Participating in conference calls 

  • Receiving instructions over the phone 

  • Contacting clients or suppliers 

Without alternatives like text messages, emails, captioned calls, and video calls, Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals may face unnecessary communication barriers. 

• Most information is often delivered verbally, which means Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees may miss: 

  • Emergency announcements

  • Changes to the schedule and work times 

  • Team updates 

  • Training information

  • Workplace events 

If visual communication methods were put into place, Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees would have an easier time accessing the information they need. 

• Most workplaces rely on sound systems for emergencies, this includes: 

  • Fire alarms

  • Evacuation announcements

  • Security alerts 

  • Emergency warnings 

Without visual alarms, Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees are put at more of a greater risk of getting hurt 

• Communication barriers can affect social inclusion, so some Deaf or Hard of Hearing employees may: 

  • Feel left out of workplace conversations 

  • Misses informal discussions between colleagues 

  • Struggle to participate in social events or activities 

  • Feel disconnected from their team 

This can impact workplace connections, communication systems, confidence, and overall job satisfaction 

• Many Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees spend significant time and energy on concentration throughout the workday, which can lead to emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. This can include: 

  • Lip reading 

  • Reading and watching body language 

  • Following along with all the different conversations 

  • Filtering out the background noise 

  • Using hearing technology 

• Some Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees still face severe discrimination even after they have gotten the job. Some examples include: 

  • Being excluded from opportunities 

  • Being treated differently from hearing colleagues 

  • Receiving few jobs and responsibilities

  • Facing negative attitudes about their hearing loss/deafness

  • Experiencing bullying or harassment related to their deafness 

This kind of treatment towards other colleagues can negatively impact confidence, well-being, and career progression.