This website will guide you through the communication and technical accommodations required when interviewing and hiring Deaf and hard of hearing employees and how to build capacity for advancement by engaging Deaf or hard of hearing employees. Refer to the section on Employment Phases for further details.
A summary of how to promote the basics is provided in the Breaking the Sound Barriers at Work Webinar produced by Canadian Hearing Society. This is an opportunity for education for employers to know about your obligations. Breaking the Sound Barriers at Work Webinar Presentation PowerPoint is also provided in the Resources section. Refer to the section, Legal Obligations to understand your legal responsibilities.
Most important is to recognize that not one size fits all. Each individual is different and no two employees even with the same hearing will have identical needs. It is important to find out from the person how they prefer to be identified, how they prefer to communicate and what technical accommodations they prefer.
Breaking the Sound Barriers at Work Webinar
- It is good business sense to engage diverse employees in order to engage diverse clients.
- Employers frequently rate workers with disabilities better or about the same as co-workers in task performance (e.g., quality/quantity of output, attendance, safety, working without supervision). In addition, Deaf and hard of hearing workers have a 98% average or above average safety record, among the highest of all disabled workers and workers in general.
- Company image will improve in the business community and with the public as an employer of integrity and choice
- Promoting accessible communication in the workplace will create more diversity, respect and understanding among all employees.
- Having demonstrated your respect for a diverse workforce, your employees will place higher value on the organization, increasing morale, productivity and overall effectiveness.
- There is a direct link between employee satisfaction/loyalty and customer satisfaction to the bottom line of your organization.
- Countless organizational studies have shown that good morale, teamwork and high employee satisfaction correlate with better product and service quality.
What Do Employees Need in the Workplace?
What Can Employers Do in the Workplace?
What Do Employees Need in the Workplace?