Sensory Impairment - Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent, present since birth or onset at a later age. Employees who have notified that they have a Hearing Impairment can include a broad range of people, from British Sign Language users to those who have become deaf and use speech and lip-reading, from profoundly deaf employees who do not use hearing aids, to those that have hearing aids or a cochlear implant.

It is vital to understand individual employees needs as different people will be affected in different ways.

The signs and symptoms

Employees who are deaf or hearing impaired will likely have difficulty:

• Understanding what people say, especially in noisy environments
• Following information and instructions correctly
• Some people may become inattentive when others are speaking due to a difficulty in following speech
• Taking notes while also listening to or watching other information
• Participating in team discussions, especially over the phone.

Ideas to support inclusion

• Ensure the individual can see the person speaking, as they may find it helpful to read lips or body language
• Consider a range of ways of explaining activities or giving instructions so that misunderstandings are avoided
• During many activities visual clues may be necessary, so you will need to make sure that these are clear and when changing from one speaker to another, that the listener is directed to face whoever is talking.
• Some people may need to use other aids such as ‘signing’ to help their communication, for instance Makaton or British Sign Language. You will need to check with the person concerned, as they may well have developed their own range of signs.
• Depending on the type of hearing loss, speech may be difficult for you to understand. This will become easier as you get to know the person concerned. Don’t forget, that to the individual concerned, what they are saying makes perfect sense.
• Particular attention needs to be paid to safety wherever you are. Remember that warnings that rely on hearing, such as fire alarms, shouted instructions, or car horns, may be ineffective. You may find it useful to pair the person up with a hearing ‘buddy’.
• For lip-reading make sure you have good lighting, avoid putting your hands in front of your face or looking away at a screen, give adequate breaks, to enable the deaf employee to learn at their best ability.
• Do remember lip-reading and/or watching the interpreter is very tiring.