Sensory impairments

Hearing Loss

Difficulty hearing sounds, which can affect one or both ears, impacting communication and daily life.
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About

Hearing loss refers to the partial or total inability to hear. It can affect one or both ears and can be caused by various factors such as ageing, injury, illness, or genetics.

People with hearing loss may find it difficult to understand speech, especially in noisy environments.

This condition is often invisible.

Many disabilities, including this one, may not have outward signs—people can be significantly impacted even if they appear “fine” on the outside.

Common Challenges

  • Difficulty communicating in meetings or with coworkers.
  • Challenges with phone calls or video calls.
  • Misunderstanding instructions or information.
  • Inability to hear alarms or important sounds in the workplace.
  • Social isolation or feeling left out of group conversations.

Practitioner Help

  • Assess the level of hearing loss and recommend the use of hearing aids or devices.
  • Advise on communication strategies, such as lip-reading or written communication.
  • Help find workplaces that are accessible or supportive of individuals with hearing loss.
  • Assist with training on effective communication in the workplace.
  • Advocate for reasonable accommodations with employers.

Common Accommodations

  • Offering written instructions instead of oral ones
  • Providing sign language interpreters or captioning services
  • Offering hearing assistive technologies like amplified phones or alerting devices
  • Flexible working hours or part-time work
  • Modifying the workspace to reduce background noise
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Notes

Early intervention can improve job outcomes for people with hearing loss.

A positive, supportive work environment plays a key role in retention and job satisfaction for employees with hearing loss.

World Hearing Day is 3rd March

Resources

  • Hearing loss - prevention, signs, diagnosis and treatment |healthdirect
  • Deafness |healthdirect
  • Aboutear health | Australian Government Department of Health and AgedCare
  • Sensoryimpairments | healthdirect
Sensory impairments

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