People with hearing loss often face discrimination socially as well as in the workplace. However, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) have strict regulations against discrimination towards people who have hearing damage. Even landlords and people who own public venues fall under this category of non-discrimination. Your hearing loss should not stop you from leading a normal life, so it is best to become aware of the rights that come along with your hearing impairment.
Even if you wear hearing aids during a job interview, your prospective employers are not allowed to ask whether you have hearing loss as this information is deemed confidential. Only under certain circumstances are hearing-related questions allowed in job interviews. These circumstances include questions regarding job requirements and duties that may be directly affected by hearing loss, such as being able to hear certain tones that require you to perform certain acts such as opening doors at service stations or hear people’s screams if they are in danger in case you are applying as a lifeguard.
Some telemarketing companies provide headsets that do not have volume control, which might make it difficult for you to hear properly if you have hearing impairment. In such cases, you may be unable to perform well at that job and may not be hired as a result.
Despite hearing loss, companies can make certain reasonable accommodations to help a hearing impaired person work to their full capacity in the workplace. Your employer may decide to add visual cues in addition to auditory cues such as flashing lights to accompany alarms and bells. Telemarketing companies may provide you with special headsets which have advanced volume settings to accommodate your hearing loss. All of these are reasonable requests that you can make during the time of your interview. Some telephones even come with assistive listening capacities such as captions for hearing impaired individuals.
You can even find temporary accommodations for your hearing loss in the event of attending certain meetings or conferences. You can utilize tiny microphones that can enhance sound levels during conferences. You can even ask to be seated nearer to speakers during the conference.
If you feel discriminated against in the workplace or during a job interview, you can always file a complaint at the Americans with Disabilities Act website.
Even public places are often equipped to assist those with hearing impairment. Places such as movie theaters, museums, churches, and lecture halls are often equipped with hearing loop systems as well as captioned services.
Even children with hearing loss have rights where schools are required to accommodate their unique hearing needs to help them obtain equal education, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Explore more information at the Americans with Disabilities Act website at www.ada.gov.