Employment

Although good hearing is a valuable asset in employment, many people acquiring severe or profound hearing loss have shown that it is possible to remain successfully employed at all levels, including senior management. Unemployment for deafened people however is substantially above the national average and it is therefore very important not to deny or conceal your deafness. If you have a hearing loss of any type, either sudden or progressive and it is affecting your ability at work, you will achieve far more by accepting it and seeking advice about your rights and the help available in relation to employment.

Your Legal Rights

With severe or profound hearing loss, it is important to realise that you are disabled and with the introduction and extensions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) your employer now has legal responsibilities to meet. The DDA now applies to all employers and has given disabled workers the right to request that their employer should make reasonable adjustments to enable them to carry out their work effectively. This has removed many barriers to the successful employment of deafened people. For example, if your job requires some use of the telephone and you are unable to use a normal voice telephone, other solutions need to be discussed and used, if possible. A textphone and access to a text relay service such as Text Relay (formerly RNID Typetalk) (see later section on telephones) may be a possible solution. Advice is available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for both employers and employees.

Your Existing Employment

Your deafness will affect not only yourself but also your colleagues and the best way to achieve an appropriate solution to this problem is to be open about it. One of your the first steps should be to ask for a meeting with your Personnel/Human Resources manager. Don’t forget that for a small or medium sized company you may be your company’s first disabled employee, so that both you and your employer are in new territory. In those circumstances, making everyone aware of the problem is therefore crucial if appropriate decisions are to be made and people are made fully aware of the psychological and emotional distress that accompanies hearing loss. If you are a member of a trade union, it may also be useful to acquaint your trade union representative with the situation. The Trades Union Congress has approved a policy on rehabilitation leave. Time off should be allowed for a recently disabled employee to attend rehabilitation courses and appointments, for example, at the hearing aid clinic, with the hearing therapist, social services worker or other professionals who may assist in their rehabilitation. EHRC provides an advisory service for employers, and, where disputes arise, will attempt arbitration and conciliation. In the final analysis, disputes with an employer can be referred to an Employment Tribunal for decision but in the vast majority of cases it is possible to achieve a satisfactory outcome through mediation.

Learning how to manage your deafness and use all the relevant aids is vital for success in employment. A deaf person's manager and colleagues may be in as much need of help and support as the deaf employee. Hence EHRC’s emphasis on supporting employers and courses aimed at training employers about their responsibilities and how to fulfil them. The situation may be entirely new to staff with normal hearing. They, too, may look on the dark side until the possibilities of adapting the job or making communication easier are explained.

Advice and Help

In some cases, the onset of profound deafness may lead to the view that a job can no longer be done because it is of such a nature that good hearing is essential. Before accepting that however, you still need to explore all the possibilities of continuing, with the assistance of whatever support you need. It is surprising how few jobs are really unsuitable for deafened people if they have access to the appropriate aids and services. There is also good evidence which shows that people are better off in work, not just financially, but in terms of their health, well-being and self-esteem.

Advice is available for both you and your employer at Jobcentre Plus and from the regional employment advisers set up by RNID. You may find it useful to search through the online database of jobs on the Jobcentre Plus website but don’t let your deafness discourage you from visiting. Ask to see the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) who should be well aware of your problems and needs as a deafened person.

Looking for New Employment

  At Jobcentre Plus, if you are looking for new employment, make sure that you find out about the New Deal Programmes, Workstep and Job Introduction Scheme, since these are the relevant schemes that are available to give you the help, training, preparation and support you will need. Also enquire about Job Club Program Centres that operate in some parts of the country. These can include special ones for hearing impaired people, which can help to inspire confidence and provide the 'know-how' of getting interviews and finally employment.

All deafened people in employment also need to be aware of the advantages of the Jobcentre Plus "Positive About Disabled People" symbol. Often called the “Two Ticks” symbol, it can be used by employers on job adverts providing they agree to :

• Interview and consider disabled people on merit
• Discuss with each disabled employee how to develop and use their abilities
• Make every effort to keep people in employment if they become disabled
• Ensure all other employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness.

Financial Support

Financial support may be available to employers and self-employed people through the Department of Work and Pensions Access to Work scheme, or the Employment and Support Allowance, details of which can be obtained from Jobcentre Plus. The Access to Work scheme may also provide Communications Support for job interviews and may be useful for people who are considering self-employment.

Think Positively

A deaf person seeking employment needs confidence in their ability to succeed in employment. Remember your skills, abilities and experience are your strengths and are more important than the fact that you are deaf. Think positively and expect your prospective employer to do the same. Quite often employers, particularly in the public sector, will include the phrase "equal opportunities employer" in advertisements for staff. Don’t be afraid to hold them to it. If they offer you an interview, they must be prepared to offer whatever support you need, including an appropriate Communication Professional (see later section on this topic).

“Working without Hearing”, written by Mark Weston, was published by NADP in 2001. Although now somewhat dated, this book’s nine case studies of working people who became deafened are still valuable. It can be obtained from Forest Books.

On first becoming deafened, continued employment may seem near impossible but there is a bright side. With the help now available and a lot of willpower, you can do it.

Factsheet 1, Section f, gives contact details.
Factsheet 2 gives further details concerning employment.

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