How to make your workplace Deaf-friendly

It is proven by Government research that people with a disability tend to stay in their jobs a lot longer, are more reliable and appreciate their jobs more than the average employee.Having a deaf person on board will encourage the consumers within the deaf community to choose your business, and without having to invest in marketing costs you can gradually become part of the deaf community network.

General tips: Some of the things you can do to make a deaf-friendly workplace are:

Decrease or insulate against loud noises – some deaf people may feel or hear echoes or vibrations which can be quite disturbing.

Install a Telephone Typewriter (TTY) and promote the TTY contact number for clients who cannot use a phone – consult Telstra for low cost TTY units. For more information about TTYs, click here. To see contact details for Telstra’s Disability Program, click here.

Encourage clients and staff members to telephone deaf employees using either a TTY or via the National Relay Service (NRS). For more information about the NRS, click here.

Install flashing lights for all alarm/alert systems to alert deaf or hard of hearing people in the workplace to any emergencies – this is free if you use the Workplace Modification Scheme. To see information about this scheme, click here.

Contact JobAccess for a free assessment of your workplace to identify technology that will support a deaf person in the workplace. To see contact details for JobAccess, click here.Modifications recommended by JobAccess can also be funded under the Workplace Modification Scheme.

Conduct a deafness awareness training session:

Both the deaf employee and the hearing workplace benefit from cultural awareness. The deaf community has, like any other community, its own sets of values and socially acceptable behaviours, which are not normally known and which sometimes may seem unusual to hearing co-workers. Some examples are:

deaf people tend to stand a little further away from people they are talking to
it is ok in deaf culture to touch someone on the arm or shoulder to get their attention

Explaining these behaviours can help create a clear and natural atmosphere in which deaf and hearing employees can work efficiently, and be part of successful teams in equality and fairness

Hearing people gather information incidentally through the conversations that go on around them. Do not be surprised if a deaf person has missed out on some information that you would usually expect to be common knowledge. This is especially the case if the deaf person is not confident with their English skills. Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and English are completely different languages, with different grammar, word order, and vocabulary. For many deaf people, English is very much a second language. When deaf people read or write, they are often translating between Auslan and English in their heads.

The Job interview:

When assessing the deaf candidate's CV or written correspondence and during the interview, avoid assessing them on the basis of their English literacy – rather assess them on the intention being communicated, and their experience and skills. Make sure your correspondence is in short sentences using Plain English and interviews are face-to-face.
During the job interview, all communication needs to be interpreted back and forth by an Auslan Interpreter. Some of the impression that the deaf person causes on the interviewer depends on the quality, accuracy, and attitude of the interpreter, which must always be taken into consideration by the interviewer(s) when deciding on the right person for the job. Interpreters do not sign "word for word" what is said, but give the meaning of what is said or signed.

For more information about interviewing a deaf person, click here.

Starting work:
It is important for all induction information to be given in the communication mode that is accessible to them (which, for many deaf people will mean using an Auslan interpreter). For information about different communication modes, click here.

	Induction should include:
	house-keeping instructions evacuation procedures introduction to other co-workers Occupational Health and Safety and Emergency procedures Privacy and Confidentiality, depending on the Quality Assurance Standards of the organisation all tasks and responsibilities - don't assume the deaf person will pick these up in the workplace as most of this kind of information is passed on through casual conversation

After probation has been successfully completed, consider:

Workplace modification. The Deaf Society Employment Service gives information to employers about resources they can use to make the workplace functional for the deaf employee. This information includes the different schemes and subsidies available for the employer to purchase and install devices, the manufacturers of those devices, and independent advice on recommended adjustments.
Task modification. The Deaf Society Employment Service provides expertise and independent advice on task modification according to the quality standards of the ISO 9000 quality assurance system. In all tasks involving oral communication, the use of telephone, alarms, and customer service related areas, tasks can be modified according to the needs of the deaf employee, to the satisfaction of the employer.
General work protocols. The Deaf Society Employment Service conducts an on-going non-intrusive post placement support program, which can be maintained until both the employer and employee are satisfied or for up to 18 months. This support is very useful in keeping the deaf employee informed of changes, verbal agreements between employer and staff, interaction between the deaf employee and co-workers, awareness of general consensus in staff meetings, and the like.

Feel free to contact the Deaf Society Employment Service if you would like to follow up any of these suggestions at any time. It can assist you to make your workplace more deaf-friendly (at no charge to you) by:

selecting the best deaf person for your vacancy
providing Auslan interpreting for the job interview and induction training
conducting an Occupational Health and Safety assessment of the workplace needs of a deaf employee
advising you about government funding and programs related to employing a deaf person
educating co-workers and / or supervisors about the basic awareness needed for working with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing
providing on-going support for deaf employees and their employers for a period of up to 18 months (if necessary)

To see contact details for the Deaf Society Employment Service, click here.

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