Being deaf or having hearing loss should not be a barrier to applying for and excelling in most jobs. But when employers lack understanding about hearing loss and don’t offer support, employees get left out, and left behind.
Deaf people and people with hearing loss are less likely to be employed than the general population.
Barriers to inclusion in the workplace
The most significant barriers to inclusion in the workplace are a lack of deaf awareness, and perceptions and attitudes towards deaf people from employers and colleagues.
People worry they will be treated unfairly at work if they disclose their hearing loss, which may lead to stress, isolation, and a delay in receiving support.
Our research has found:
- In the workplace, a quarter (25%) of deaf people say they have experienced negative attitudes from work colleagues – a figure which almost doubles for BSL users.
- Over a quarter (26%) of people said they would feel uncomfortable being told to manage someone who was deaf or had hearing loss.
- When managers and colleagues lack empathy and understanding, it can lead to exclusion from social conversations in the workplace, isolation, stress and bullying.
Why change is needed
Employees who are not supported to manage their hearing loss in the workplace can have fewer opportunities for promotion, and may be more likely to retire early due to the difficulties they face at work.
Deaf people and people with hearing loss or tinnitus, have a right to access jobs in the same way as everyone else. But at the moment, there’s an ‘employment gap’ for our communities. We want to close that gap.
