According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 5% of the world’s population suffers from disabling hearing loss. Five percent may seem like a small number, but that totals over 360 million people across the globe. By 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss and at least 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss
One of the most important accommodations that employers can make for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired is to provide sign language interpreters or other forms of auxiliary aids and services. This can include real-time captioning, written notes, or text-to-speech software.
For example, in a medical setting, a sign language interpreter can help facilitate communication between a deaf patient and their healthcare provider. In a customer service setting, a business could provide a video relay service (VRS), allowing a deaf customer to communicate with a customer service representative via a sign language interpreter over remote video.
In the retail setting, a store could provide written instructions or visual aids for deaf customers, such as providing videos with captions for product demonstrations.
In the hospitality industry, hotels can provide visual alarms, such as strobe lights, for deaf guests in case of fire or another emergency.
In the education setting, sign language interpreters can help deaf or hard of hearing students to understand the lecture and participate in class discussions.
In the financial setting, banks can provide documents in alternative formats like braille or large print for deaf customers.
In a legal setting, a legal document may be interpreted and then a certification can be issued which states the document was read to the Defendant, or Plaintiff.
Providing accommodations for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired can also help a business appeal to a wider customer base. It shows that the business is inclusive and welcoming to all customers, regardless of their abilities. Additionally, it can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty among deaf or hearing-impaired customers.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and governmental activities. It can be found on the official website of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) at https://www.ada.gov/.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The EEOC’s website provides information on the rights of individuals with disabilities in the workplace, including guidance on the types of accommodations that employers should make for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired. The official website of the EEOC can be found at https://www.eeoc.gov/. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/hearing-disabilities-workplace-and-americans-disabilities-act
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which includes Section 503 and 504, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by Federal agencies, in programs receiving Federal financial assistance, in Federal employment, and in the employment practices of Federal contractors. The official website of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs can be found at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp
Additionally, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The NAD website provides information on the rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals under the ADA and other laws, as well as resources for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, including information on accessible technology and communication options. The official website of the NAD can be found at https://www.nad.org/.