Facts About Deafness
There are approximately 22 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals currently living in the US. Of that number, 2.2 million reside in California.
The proper terminology to refer to a person with severe hearing loss is "Deaf".
Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals perform equally as well as their hearing peers in professional settings. However, there are obstacles that create communication barriers that can limit their participation in the workplace. The physical and environmental barriers could be noise, light level in a room, and distance from the speaker. There are attitudinal barriers, such as, stereotyping, ignorance, and focus on the disability rather than the individual's abilities.
As a point of support, here is a partial list of the areas where Deaf individuals have excelled:
- Architecture
- Computer Programmer
- Corporate Manager
- Entrepreneurs
- Financial Consultant
- Mechanic
- Physician
- Postal Worker
- Psychologist
- Lawyer
- Salesperson
- Teacher
- Judge
- Telecommunications Technician
The most important consideration, when working with a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual, is to identify the communication situations in which the employee is experiencing difficulty. Accommodations can be made to correct these situations and make any workplace friendly and productive for everyone.
There are a variety of occasions where communication assistance is necessary for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual to truly be a part of the group. For instance:
- Wedding
- Graduation Ceremony
- Meeting
- Dr.'s Appointment
- Public Event
- Workshop/Seminar
- School Open House
- Government/Political Rally
- Funeral
- Baptism
- Church Service
- Social Club
DEAF-RELATED LINKS
