How To Support A Deaf Colleague At Work
Eight people standing with their backs to the camera, they are standing in a row with their arms around each other.
Many people don’t tell their coworkers about their hearing loss because they worry about being treated differently.
Whilst wearing hearing aids shouldn’t be considered any different than wearing glasses, there’s a stigma about it. People make assumptions about your abilities or feel awkward about approaching you.
And feeling lonely and isolated at work is a horrible experience for anyone.
Someone at work tells you they have hearing loss, what should you do?
Not everyone feels the same way about their hearing loss or deafness.
This depends on different factors but is also influenced by the reactions of others. So when someone shares that they have hearing loss with you, thank them for sharing, and ask if there’s anything you can do to make things easier for them.
It will make them more confident about sharing any difficulties in the future.
Talking to someone with hearing loss
If the person isn’t facing you, they may not realise you’re talking to them. Get their attention first – by this I don’t mean standing a distance away saying their name over and over, or moving in close behind them and yelling into their hearing aids.
Either move into their line of sight or tap their arm to get their attention. (If you’re uncomfortable with contact, putting your hand on their desk next to them works just as well)
Start speaking when you’re face to face so they can see your expression and lip pattern. Speak clearly, don’t shout or exaggerate words, this changes your lip pattern making you harder to understand, shouting also changes your facial expression – so the person might mistakenly think you’re angry with them and feel intimidated.
Try not to waffle, get to the point and allow a gap between instructions to make sure you are being understood and for them to ask questions.
For longer conversations it may be better to move to a quiet, well lit space without background noise and distractions. If you have a tendency to speak really fast, or have a strong accent, slow things down and allow time for them to clarify. If they need you to repeat something more than once, try using different words or offer to write it down. Everyone has a different rhythm to their speech which can make it difficult to understand at first, but gets easier the more you hear it, so please don’t be put off making conversation.
"Why are you deaf?"
There are many causes of hearing loss, and whilst it’s natural to be curious, accept that your coworker might not wish to discuss it. I won’t make a list here of things not to say, it brings out my sarcasm and I’m trying to cut down. (Ok, just one… random person-“ But you don’t sound deaf, you're amazing for speaking so well!" response: “If you put your fingers in your ears can you still speak?? That’s great, well done!”)
Some of the causes of hearing loss and deafness include accident, injury or illness, it may be inherited, due to aging, or loud music/machinery. It may happen over many years or a few hours, and with sudden hearing loss there often isn’t an identifiable cause.
It is a huge life adjustment, and not always easy to discuss. If they want to talk about it, they will.
"You heard ok earlier."
It can be difficult to tell how bad someone's hearing is because their hearing may seem better/worse depending on what’s being said or who is speaking.
Why is this? When people lose their hearing, sound in the higher frequencies is usually first to go. Certain vowel and consonant sounds are in this high frequency range. These include v p k f th s I j u b h z and v. These sounds can be difficult to hear with mild hearing loss.
Words that contain these sounds, such as - that, house, first, she, almost, as well as words which rhyme with each other (stool, fool, cool, pool) are easy to mix up. Hearing aids amplify background noise too, so if lots of people are talking at once it’s hard to separate all the different sounds.
Even if a person lip reads, many lip patterns are the same for different sounds eg st/c b/p/m ch/sh/ c/g/j w/r. Most sounds in the English language are made at the back of the throat or by the tongue. Only 30% of English phonemes are visible on the lips. If someone speaks quietly or mumbles, the lip patterns are smaller and harder to understand. Lip reading is impossible if the person keeps putting their hand near their mouth or has a large moustache.
This makes listening to conversations a bit like an auditory jigsaw puzzle, putting together the things that you do hear, with lip pattern, body language, context or topic and guessing the blanks - and hoping that you haven’t misunderstood completely.
Other issues which can effect day to day hearing include tinnitus, having a cold or feeling under the weather and being tired.
Supporting a deaf colleague.
Before a meeting, let them choose the best place for them to sit. This will probably be somewhere where they can see everyone’s face clearly. If people are sitting with their backs to a window, the glare from the light can make it difficult to see, so they may want to adjust the blinds. Sitting next to the whoever’s chairing the meeting or taking notes can also be helpful.
Having an agenda for meetings, making sure people take turns to speak, and circulating minutes afterwards helps to make sure nothing is missed.
If they use listening devices, such as a hearing loop, roger pen or microphone, don’t assume they can hear everything perfectly. It’s an aid, not a cure, and whilst technology is great, it isn’t always perfect.
Ask if they can hear you well or if you need to move somewhere quieter to have a conversation. Make sure there aren’t any bright lights or windows behind you when you’re speaking so they can see your face clearly
Include them. If everyone’s laughing about something, ask them if they followed what happened, if not, tell them what the joke was about. The same for group discussions, let them know what’s going on.
Saying things like ‘never mind’ or ‘it doesn’t matter’ will make them feel like they don’t matter. If they didn’t want to know they wouldn’t have asked.
If they use sign language, learning a few simple signs can make them feel welcome and included – as well as saving a lot of time. Helpful signs to learn include ‘good morning’ ‘goodbye’ ‘how are you?', ‘tea’, ‘coffee’, ‘the building’s on fire’, and ‘there’s cake in the kitchen’.
Don’t talk to their assistance dog instead of them. They’re clever but they can’t pass messages on. I have one and I know they are cute – but they are there to do a job, which is to help your coworker be independent by alerting them to sounds – such as the fire alarm. If you really want to say hello to the dog, ask the owner first. But don’t get angry if the answer is no – they might have been distracted enough for one day.
Just because you know someone else with hearing loss doesn’t mean that you understand your coworkers needs. There are different levels of hearing loss – just as there are different levels of sight loss
Use the same terminology that they use themselves. Some may describe themselves as having hearing loss or being hard of hearing. Others may say they are partially deaf or deaf.
They don’t need your admiration or sympathy and they don’t want to discuss their hearing loss all the time. (If they mention it they might just be reminding you to speak up) Their hearing loss is one small detail about them, make a point of getting to know them as a person, you may have more in common than you think.
Sudden hearing loss is more common than people realise. If a coworker is going through this, they will need you to be deaf aware, but they will also be working out what their new needs are. You may have lots of ideas to help and support them, but they need time and space to come to terms with their new normal. Don’t start treating them differently, they are the same person they’ve always been, going through a life changing difficulty.
The best thing you can do is listen.
(Photo credit: fauxels)