Coping With Hearing Loss At Work: 5 Tips To Make Things Easier

Coping with hearing loss at work can leave you feeling isolated and demoralised. We dive into techniques to better advocate for yourself and other.

1 in 6 British adults suffer from hearing loss. This can result in feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation. It can also make it difficult to perform your job to the best of your ability.

Open plan offices, “walk and talk” meetings, and lunchtime discussions can pose especially big challenges, especially if you’re a hearing aid wearer.

Fortunately, there are ways of coping with hearing loss at work.

This guide explores five action-based strategies you can employ today to improve your professional life so you can thrive at work and at home.

Statistics On Hearing Loss And Isolation At Work

Hearing loss can significantly impact your job prospects and overall satisfaction. 

Recent research revealed that 70% of respondents stated that hearing loss sometimes prevented them from fulfilling their potential at work.

What’s more, 68% reported that they felt isolated at work because of their condition.

The same study also revealed that 74% of respondents felt they had limited employment opportunities because of their hearing loss.

These statistics highlight just how much hearing loss can impact workers and their mental health.

They also showcase why employers and the wider workforce need to do more to support people living with hearing loss. Of course, the first step is awareness.

Are you affected by hearing loss? Keep reading as we dive into five strategies for dealing with hearing loss at work. These tips are also essential reading for employers and anyone who wants to support their colleague. 

5 Tips For Coping With Hearing Loss At Work

From requesting reasonable adjustments to being strategic about seating, there are many measures you can take to make your working life easier.

While there will always be challenges, these strategies can help you overcome them before they become barriers. Here’s a closer look.

1. Disclose your condition

Choosing whether or not to disclose your hearing loss is completely up to you. It’s an incredibly personal decision that you should give a lot of thought to.

For some, they are uncomfortable disclosing their condition because they don’t want to be treated differently. Others may feel embarrassed.

If you’re comfortable doing so, we highly recommend that you talk to your employer and teammates about your hearing loss.

Having an open and frank discussion about the challenges it causes will enable your team to support you better. As a result, this can improve working conditions for you.

It’s important that you advocate for yourself and be honest about the impact it has on your performance, mental health, and career prospects. It’s also vital that you are transparent about how your employer can make things easier for you.

We’ll discuss this more in the next point.

2. Request reasonable accommodations

If you’re finding that your condition affects your work, the next step is to ask your employer for reasonable accommodations. These are measures your employer can take to even the playing field and empower you to thrive.

It can be difficult to have this conversation. Many employees feel like they’re asking for too much or “expecting special treatment”. That’s simply not the case.

Reasonable workplace adjustments create a fairer and more inclusive workplace for everyone. By asking for them, you give your company an opportunity to learn about your challenges so it can be a better employer for you and future staff.

Before you make your request, do plenty of research to understand what options are available to you and how they can make your life easier.

Here are some examples:

• Assisted Listening Devices (ALDs)
• Assisted Listening Systems (ALSs)
• Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) telephones
• Captioned Phone Service (IP CTS)
• Emergency assistive technology (e.g. strobe lights on fire alarms)
• Adjustments to workplace training (closed captions, transcripts, etc)
• All important messages provided writing

Bonus content: Assistive Technology For Inclusive Employment 

4. Be prepared

Meetings can be tricky when you’re affected by hearing loss, especially large meetings where people are talking over each other.

Rather than getting filled with dread every time there’s a meeting, we recommend preparing in advance. Start by explaining how challenging it is when multiple speak at one, and request a simple “hands up” system when people want to speak. This gives you more time to follow the conversation.

Next, make sure your seat is in an optimal area for you to see and hear what’s going on. Requesting a central seat with your back to the window is often a good option. We touch on this more in the final point.

Finally, ensure that someone is in charge of taking written notes during the meeting so you can review them afterward. 

For virtual meetings, on-screen captioning can do this automatically. We’ll discuss this more in the next point.

5. Use on-screen captioning

Staying up-to-date with the latest assistive technologies is fantastic for managing hearing loss at work.

That way, you know what tech to request from your employer and how it can solve the problems you’re experiencing.

For instance, if you’re struggling to follow the conversation during online meetings, on-screen captioning can help. This software displays captions on the screen during the meeting so you can make sure you don’t miss anything. It also identifies speakers and describes any relevant sounds that appear during the meeting.

Most meeting tools require you to turn this feature on before the meeting, so always request this from the meeting host. Follow that up by asking your employer to make this a common practice across the organisation.

Related reading: Supporting Employees with Non-Visible Disabilities 

5. Request a seat in a quieter area

As anyone with hearing loss knows, noisy open-plan offices are extremely difficult environments to work in. The constant background noise can be overwhelming if you wear hearing aids, or they can make it especially challenging to hear what your colleague is saying.

Unlike your colleagues, you can’t just stick in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to get some peace and quiet. As a result, choosing where you sit is crucial. Request a seat in a quieter area to reduce the amount of background noise you’re subjected to. 

In some cases, sitting at the back of the office can be helpful because it allows you to see what’s going on (in the case of an emergency). It also reduces the amount of noise you have from behind. Windows seats are another good option.

While this may seem like a large request, especially if it requires your whole team to move, it’s a reasonable accommodation to make. Having a quiet area to work will boost your concentration, reduce stress, and enable you to work to the best of your ability. 

If your employer isn’t able to grant this adjustment, ask about remote working options.

You may also be interested in: Advantages Of Remote Work For Disabled Employees 

Key Takeaways

Coping with hearing loss at work can leave you feeling isolated and demoralised. But you’re not alone in this.

The first step is opening up to your employer about what you’re going through and how they can improve working conditions.

You have a lot to offer, so don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and others. 

We hope this guide brings you relief and empowers you to ask for the reasonable accommodations and support you need to excel.

For more free resources on all things disability inclusion, check out our resource hub and blog.

Looking for job opportunities with Disability Confident Employers? Browse our disability-friendly job board now.