As a business, we often walk into situations in the workplace where communication is not working. And most of the time in these cases, there has not been any Deaf Awareness Training.
Often, the deaf employee has been working at the business for many years and has never really understood their colleagues, and their colleagues have never really understood them.
This can lead to real friction in relationships and can also affect performance and productivity.
In worst cases, this can also affect the deaf employee's mental health and wellbeing.
Communication is the biggest challenge that deaf people face in the workplace, missing details in meetings such as target dates, project names, and even the tasks that have been allocated to them.
All of those water cooler conversations where the conversation is mostly centered around what’s happening socially but also naturally leads to discussions about work.
Here are some comments from deaf employees to show you how this experience plays out:
I am not involved in conversations 100%, I only get the main points.
Well, this is the issue, and we have – even in our offices it’s probably 50 percent deaf and 50 percent hearing, and we are still having issues with integration because it’s really hard to mix in with those conversations and be part of the team, unless the hearing people are willing to take part in that.
There needs to be awareness of everybody of what the needs are and the benefits of being part of a team, and I can imagine that’s really hard.
I don’t know what my colleagues think, or feel, at work – can’t access conversations with them enough.
What is Deaf Awareness Training
Deaf awareness training helps hearing people understand what it’s like to be deaf and what this looks like in the workplace.
It gives your colleagues and teams confidence in communicating with deaf colleagues and customers.
At the end of a Deaf Awareness Training session, you would be able to:
- Confidently approach a deaf person
- Understand the different types of deafness
- Communicate with a wide range of deaf people
- Work with BSL Interpreters and Communication Professionals
- Use basic signs in British Sign Language (if needed)
Why Deaf Awareness Training
Deaf Awareness Training really helps businesses better understand their deaf colleagues and learn how to make reasonable adjustments so that their deaf colleague/s can fully access their working environment.
This training puts you in the shoes of a deaf employee, so that you can see and experience the challenges for yourself.
This gives the message to deaf colleagues and deaf customers that you are truly committed to creating an inclusive experience. The fact that you have gone and done something that is centered around making things easier for them really has a huge impact on a sense of belonging.
If there are any communication or performance issues or challenges, this training can really support the mediation between all stakeholders as with this new heightened awareness it often becomes clear where the issues are coming from.
Deaf employees are highly loyal when well supported within their teams, as the risk of going elsewhere and having to go through the learning stages all over again with a new team, is a huge challenge. So, by supporting deaf people in the workplace, you are reducing staff turnover.
The small changes make the difference
More often than not, it is the small changes that make all of the difference.
Even teaching colleagues to face their deaf colleague when they are talking, so that they are able to lipread, can make it much easier to communicate. Not having a window behind you when you are talking so that you do not create a shadow on the face.
There is so much that can be done to make sure your deaf colleagues feel valued and a part of the team, so why not talk with our team about what Deaf Awareness Training could look like for your business?
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