- Reflect on how hearing loss might be affecting you at work
- Give practical tips to your colleagues about how to improve your communication
- Find information about what resources are available in your local area
Managing Hearing Loss at Work
Landing a job, getting along with your colleagues, and succeeding at your work can be difficult under the best of circumstances. Doing it with a hearing loss only complicates things. There are strategies and resources that can prevent a hearing loss from getting in your way.
What are the benefits?
Perspectives and insights
To tell or not to tell?
Some people hide their hearing loss at work, but there are many benefits to telling your employer and colleagues you have a hearing loss.
Do you fake it?
Laura Friedman shares her experiences as a person with hearing loss in different work environments, examples of how she introduces and explains her needs, and how to cope with problem coworkers.
Søren was 40 when hearing loss began to cause problems in his client-facing job. Here he tells about how being honest about his situation with his colleagues and clients improved his work life.
Nick Tedd owns several hair salons in the UK. He also has hearing loss. Here he explains how he manages his business and keeps clients and employees aware of his communication needs.
Resources
Find out what laws, services, and programs are in your country
Local organizations have information that is specific to the laws, services, and programs available to people with hearing loss near you.
Tips for talking to people with hearing loss
Download this poster to share with your colleagues in an email, display it at your desk, or ask your manager if you can put it up next to the coffee machine.
International standards
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes and protects reasonable accommodations for people in the workplace with a hearing disability. Read a PDF of the protocol.