Blogger highlights work-related issues with hearing loss

Nov 01, 2012 in Hearing Aids

Blogger highlights work-related issues with hearing loss

For those who have to suffer with hearing loss, there are many different areas of life which can be affected.

Being able to hear is such a crucial part of so many parts of day-to-day life that many only appreciate it when it starts to diminish or is taken away completely.

One area that often concerns people is the workplace and how you will go about interacting with colleagues while wearing a hearing aid and whether or not you will be able to make yourself heard when it counts.

Obviously this shouldn't be the case, as employers have obligations to ensure that those with any form of disability are treated the same as those without but it doesn't mean this won't still be a concern for people.

Liz Fisher is someone who suffers from hearing loss and in a recent guest blog for Hearing Times, she explained the troubles she's had with getting her employer to get up to speedy with provisions for deafness.

She detailed how, despite watching DVDs at home in regular life with subtitles, her employers failed to provide her with this when in the office.

"[Work] know I have a hearing loss. It’s no big secret. But for a second time, I have had to get my union representative involved after they were not listening to me," she writes.

Having subtitles are essential for people who suffer from deafness and Ms Fisher said people should never accept unequal treatment.

"As a deaf or hard of hearing person we need to advocate for ourselves," she said.

"This is very important not only to yourself, but for the next deaf person too. Never leave it to the next person."

Any questions you want answering about rights and what your employer needs to provide can be asked when you call in for your free hearing test with Leightons.

It's only natural to worry about not being heard properly when you suffer with hearing loss but there are regulations out there to protect people from this.