The Employee With The Hearing Impairment

The numbers are growing louder, even as the sound fades for more noise battered Americans, most of them of working age. Loss of hearing is currently a problem for about 22 million Americans. The National Institute on Aging claims that 28% of working Americans will have lost a portion of their hearing in the next 25 years.

Incidents of hearing loss in the workplace are adding up for many reasons. The director of career counseling and job placement services at the New York League for the hard of hearing says that our environment is noisy. People retire and live at an older age. Noise cannot be avoided in any workplace.

Noises from people and machines reign in the environment. While they go past the prescribed level in communication, they do not in any way go past the prescribed noise limit in the workplace. Federal law permits noises not over 85 decibels. Help to cope with hearing loss is provided for the suffering employee and the corresponding employer.

Certain tasks in the workplace cannot be performed by employees with hearing impairments, but employers can make adjustments to protocol. Amplified phones and location of desks away from noisy areas are examples. Giving the job of answering phone to someone else is also something to consider. The employer must be made aware of these things, however. Don’t think that just because you are not given the support you need, it means that your employers simply don’t want to give it.

The employee is instructed to describe any arrangements in the office necessary. For instance, if the employee is in need of a piece of equipment, he can get the numbers and costs of the models and inform the supervisor about them for approval and action. A request by an employee to move away from a noisy work area can be done.

Each step in job searching might be affected by the hearing impairment of the person. She says that she often sees those who don’t believe in themselves. Having only a short list of possible occupations to choose from makes the applicant confused about what to aim for in life. Another hurdle for the applicant is making a call to schedule an interview. When to reveal the impairment is something to consider as well.

A person who is employed is faced with the fear of losing his job or not getting promoted. Hiding the impairment would cause the person to withdraw from interactions with others. His actions could be misinterpreted as being unmotivated.

Being transparent is the best way to handle the job and job search. It’s advisable to just tell the supervisor about the impairment during the interview instead of putting it on the resume.

A candidate who initiates the conversation about it and about the different requirements that come with it will be appreciated by the employer. Education regarding the impact of hearing impairment may be provided to employers with the help of organizations like the League of self help for the hard of hearing. Employees and employers alike receive help and counsel from the League.