Hearing loss - communicating at work

Communicating with a hearing impaired colleague can be difficult when you’re unsure of what to do. If in doubt, ask them. The person won’t think you’re rude or drawing unnecessary attention to their disability. On the contrary, they’ll appreciate your efforts to ensure effective communication.

Learn about hearing loss

It would be a good idea if all staff members were trained in deafness awareness. You might want to suggest this to your manager. Professional advice on adapting the workplace and staff training is available from both government and community organisations.

It will also help if all staff members learn some of the basics about hearing loss, for example:

• All deaf or partially deaf people have different communication needs.
• People with a hearing impairment do not all feel the same way about their disability.
• Learning Auslan (sign language) is helpful, but its use is only appropriate for people who are completely deaf.
• Most people with impaired hearing will have some residual hearing, but there are no outward signs of how much they are able to hear. The amount they can hear may fluctuate depending on environmental factors and the individual's emotional or physical state.
• Most people with impaired hearing communicate orally. Their individual language levels may not be an indicator of how well they are able to hear.
• People who have had a cochlear implant usually cannot hear anything without the use of their speech processor.

Talking face to face – general suggestions

General suggestions for talking face to face include:

• Make sure you have the person’s attention. This could include saying the person’s name, getting into their line of vision, waving at them or touching them on the shoulder.
• A person with hearing loss needs to see the other person’s face when having a conversation. Make sure your face is well lit. Don’t stand in front of a window, for example, because the back-light shadows your face.
• You may need to move to a quieter location.
• Allow the person to see your face directly at all times. For example, don’t look around or drop your head, don’t eat or smoke, and don’t cover your face with your hand.
• Keep eye contact. Don’t talk to them if they are walking away from you, or as you walk out of the door or from another room.

Effective communication tips

Suggestions for communicating effectively with a hearing impaired colleague include:

• Identify the topic first – for example, ‘I’d like to talk about tomorrow’s meeting’.
• Use open-ended questions, rather than those that require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. This helps you know whether they understood you or not.
• Speak clearly, but don’t exaggerate lip and mouth movements – this makes speech reading harder.
• Speaking too slowly can seem patronising. Talk at normal pace.
• Speak a little louder than usual, but don’t bellow. Ask the person how best to alter your speech for speed and volume.
• Pause from time to time to allow the hearing impaired person to catch up and ask questions.
• Body language and facial expression are important. Try not to keep a deadpan face.

If you’re having trouble communicating

Sometimes, the person with hearing loss can’t understand what you’re saying. Suggestions include:

• Don’t be embarrassed, uncomfortable or frustrated.
• Don’t make the person feel as though they are the problem.
• The person may need time to adjust if you have an accent. Be patient.
• Rather than repeat the missed phrase word for word, say it another way.
• Use visual cues, like gestures.
• If you still can’t communicate, offer to write it down.
• If they prefer that you don’t write it down, ask them what they would like you to do.

Meetings

Suggestions include:

• Distribute a written agenda beforehand.
• The person with a hearing loss could submit any questions they have in writing, if they feel more comfortable doing it this way.
• Ask the chairperson or person addressing the meeting to repeat questions from around the table, or from the floor, before answering them.
• Adjust the speed when reading from notes or documents, as most people read more quickly than they speak. This makes it difficult for hearing impaired colleagues to keep up.
• Present the information visually if possible – for example, Powerpoint displays or written notes.
• Use captions if videos or DVDs are used as part of a presentation or for staff training.
• Equip the main meeting room with an audio loop, which is a wire loop that encircles a particular area (such as the conference room) and provides amplified sounds to the person via their hearing aid. Sound is fed into the system via a microphone. Only this sound will be heard.
• Use other assistive listening systems, such as FM and infrared, which are also effective. Personal receivers can be equipped with headphones or individual ‘neck loops’ for hearing aid wearers.
• Ask the person with hearing loss if they want to use an interpreter.

If an interpreter is present

The company may hire a sign language interpreter or an oral deaf interpreter for occasions such as conferences or social events. A sign language interpreter translates the spoken word into Auslan and vice versa. An oral deaf interpreter ‘lip speaks’ what is said for the benefit of lip-readers. Points to remember include:

• Address the person with hearing loss, not the interpreter. For example, say directly to the person, ‘What time is the meeting scheduled?’ rather than saying to the interpreter, ‘Ask her what time the meeting is scheduled’.
• Don’t speak too quickly. The interpreter will be about four seconds behind. If they need you to slow down, they’ll tell you.

Socialising with people with hearing loss

Some people feel uncomfortable around a person with a disability, because they’re not sure how to behave or communicate. Suggestions include:

• Consult with your employer about staff training in deafness issues.
• Staff training in sign language is available. Discuss the possibility with your employer.
• Ask the person with a hearing impairment how best to communicate.
• Don’t focus on their disability by expressing sympathy or admiration.
• Move past their hearing impairment and concentrate on getting to know them as a person.

Social conversation is important

Don’t neglect the person with hearing loss when it comes to social conversations. Limiting your interaction to business issues can make them feel isolated. Suggestions include:

• Involve them in social discussions, using the communication tips outlined above.
• Tell them ‘grapevine’ news.
• Use internal email if your computers are networked.
• Share your jokes, but keep in mind that many jokes rely on subtleties of language and are not easily understood by people who can’t hear well. They may not ‘get’ the joke straight away, but they shouldn’t be made to feel embarrassed about this. It can be especially difficult at social gatherings when there may be more background noise, laughter and music playing.

Where to get help

• Better Hearing Australia Tel. (03) 9510 1577 TTY (03) 9510 3499, Fax (03) 9510 6076, email: bhavic@betterhearing.org.au
• Vicdeaf Tel. (03) 9473 1111
• Victorian Council of Deaf People (VCOD) Tel. (03) 9521 2466
• Deafness Foundation, Victoria Tel. (03) 9738 2909
• Meniere's Australia Tel. 1300 368 818
• National Relay Service (operator assisted calling of TTY telephone numbers, available 24 hours) Tel. 133 677
• Information on National Relay Service Tel. 1300 555 727
• Australian Communication Exchange (for provision of telephone typewriters) Tel. (07) 3815 7600, TTY. (07) 3815 7602
• Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association Tel. 0402 888 560
• Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services - Disability Services Program website
• Communication Rights Australia. Tel. (03) 9555 8552
• The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Tel. (03) 9929 8666

Things to remember

• If you’re unsure how to best communicate with a hearing impaired colleague, ask them.
• Speak clearly and a little louder than usual, making sure your face is well lit and unobstructed (for example, don’t eat or smoke while talking).
• Don’t limit conversations to just business issues - social chit-chat is important too.

You might also be interested in:

• Deafness - a range of causes.
  
• Ear problems - otosclerosis.
  
• Ears - ways to protect your hearing.
  
• Ears explained.
  
• Hearing loss - how it affects people.
  
• Hearing tests explained.
  
• Sign language - Auslan.
  

Want to know more?

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Last reviewed: July 2011

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Communicating with a hearing impaired colleague at work can be difficult, but it is possible. Tips include talking while in the person's line of vision, talking in a quiet location, maintaining eye contact and writing down questions and answers. Ask a person how to help if you are unsure.

Content on this website is provided for education and information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your qualified health professional. Content has been prepared for Victorian residence and wider Australian audiences, and was accurate at the time of publication. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users are urged to always seek advice from a qualified health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.

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