Failure to make such adjustments renders employers vulnerable to claims of discrimination.Įmployers therefore need to consider what reasonable adjustments they should make to ensure that any staff with a hearing loss enjoy equal access to everything involved in doing and keeping their job as any non-disabled colleague.Īny adjustments required do not necessarily need to cost a lot of money. Under the Equality Act, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with deafness or hearing loss so that they are not put at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ with non-disabled people. An increasing array of useful apps are now available to assist people with hearing loss, while video calls can be extremely helpful for lip-reading and signing. You can also use a computer, tablet or smartphone to enhance your communications in many ways – including sound alerts, captioning and text services. assistive listening devices, including radio aids.It can help you to get the best from your hearing aids, enabling you to participate far more fully in leisure, work and study activities.Īvailable equipment and services include: Innovations and new products are being released all the time, and the latest assistive technology is smart, easy to use and relatively inexpensive. Specialist suppliers – contact detailsĪ wide variety of devices are available to help people manage their hearing loss. How important is specialist advice and training? Speech-to-text reporters and electronic note-takers Adjusting your computer, tablet or smartphone Similarly, businesses and service providers should also access expert advice on the adjustments, adaptations and support they can make to ensure that people with hearing loss can enjoy equal access to services and do not face barriers to employment or experience discrimination at work. However, each person and their requirements are unique, and anyone with hearing loss should always seek expert assessment and advice from an audiologist or a specialist charity. People with milder hearing losses may struggle when there is some background noise and people with more severe hearing loss may not be able to manage even in very quiet environments.Īssistive devices and support can help individuals manage their hearing loss and transcend potential barriers to full participation in education, work and leisure activities. Generally, as hearing loss gets progressively worse, difficulties in communicating increase. Levels of hearing loss – mild, moderate, severe or profound – are defined according to the quietest sound that you can hear. Some 11 million people in the UK have hearing loss – that’s around one-in-six of the whole population. It does not aim to be comprehensive but provides a useful introduction to some of the key assistive technology available. This factsheet gives information about how computers, tablets and smartphones can be used to enhance listening for people with some degree of hearing loss.
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