Just over 50% of people with deafness or a form of hearing loss have been mocked or teased in the workplace, according to new research by Action on Hearing Loss.
The Workplace Experiences report also revealed that 35% have felt bullied at work because of their hearing loss, whilst 44% have applied for a job without disclosing their condition.
Dr Roger Wicks, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Action on Hearing Loss, said: “That in 2018 people are still being subject to teasing, and at worst bullying, in the workplace is shocking.
“It’s almost inconceivable to imagine people with other disabilities experiencing this – and we believe it’s strongly linked to a lack of deaf awareness on the part of employers and peers in the workplace.
“Deafness and hearing loss do not limit anyone’s capacity for excellence, and we want employers to make the most of this huge pool of talent by enabling existing and prospective staff with deafness and hearing loss to thrive in the workplace.”
The news follows statistics released in May by the Office for National Statistics about the disability employment gap, which remains at around 30%.
Speaking earlier this year, James Taylor, Scope’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said the figures show the gap “has barely changed in more than a decade”.
“Many disabled people face an unnecessary struggle to get into and stay in work, largely due to employers’ outdated attitudes and inflexible working practices,” he said.
The latest study by Action on Hearing Loss, released alongside a guide on best practice for employers, is part of the charity’s Working for Change campaign, which aims to “break down the barriers” in employment for those with deafness and hearing loss.
The organisation is currently calling upon the Minister for Disabled People, Sarah Newton MP, to create a “disability information hub” for employers to “bring together all guidance on supporting people with disabilities in the workplace”.
More information about the campaign can be found on Action on Hearing Loss’ website.
By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and blogger from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and makes the occasional video about deaf awareness on his YouTube channel. He can also be found talking about disability, politics, theatre, books and music on his Twitter, or on his blog, The Life of a Thinker.
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Tim
October 11, 2018
Says the organisation that barely hires Deaf people, especially at senior management level, and has not had a deaf chief executive for years.
iandep
October 11, 2018
It’s nothing new. Teasing and bullying of Deaf people (effectively a hate crime) in the workplace has been going on for years; I’ve seen it since I first worked 43 years ago. What has AOHL (ex-RNID) been doing all that time?
Bo
October 11, 2018
Not just the work place , from ” they said you have a fat arse and a big nose ” after the third time of asking for a repeat from a third party ( and it’s not what he said they had said that could be funny , it’s that he is now board with the repeat and wants to move on its irrelivent that I still don’t know what has been said ) to hands infront of mouths so I can’t read lips while ” scheming ” being deaf in a hearing family For 40 + years and it’s on me, If I don’t tell them it’s upsetting, frustrating, anoying or isolating how will they ever know excsept when I have tried I get a put your hearing aids in , that they are close to useless, uncomfortable and if worn for more than about 7 hours cause ear infections is also irrelivent ( I have been told by my ex to put my hearing aid in just after waking up at 6 am before ) but if this is how things are in the hearing families of deaf people how can we ever hope to change things in a hearing work place , if people in our families see any complaint as being over sensitive if they think putting hearing aids in as the first thing we should do so we can make their lives easier or stop us from following conversations because they don’t want to repeat or let someone else repeat what has been said for the third time if we can get no understanding and can not get listened to by those who should be closest to us who should and in every other way do want what is best for us , what hope do we have of work mates taking a little more time or understanding that it’s not ok to make that joke. A last one, I work with the public but in isolation from the rest of my work colleagues , we get together about 4 times a year and some are just wow brilliant , others just ignore my deafness , I am lucky in that my work family are just that a second Better family , they would not think of ” being funny ” re my deafness and yet , none have ever thought that I would like to have subtitles showing on the TV in the community area and yet when the sound is muted they look to me to tell them what is happening if an interesting looking bit of news comes on , I’m not sure what this says but just one who works so hard at ensuring I am not isolated who takes it upon her self to just check ” did you get that ?” Who turns her head to speak looking at me even when speaking to another so I can keep up, who uses her mouth to pronounce words so clearly anyone could lip read , just one is enough to make you cry with the joy of being part of the whole , thank you our lass iv said it to your face but never will I be able to make you understand what you mean to me . I wish you could, I don’t think you even know this site exists I wish you knew really how much you do and how you lift my spirits thank you