Dear Editor,
There are nine million adults of working age in the UK that have hearing loss in one or both ears. Chances are, they could be your colleague, someone in your team, or your manager.
A quarter of deaf people say that they have experienced negative attitudes and behaviour from work colleagues – and this almost doubles for British Sign Language (BSL) users, according to our research. However, over half of the general public told us they want to learn how to communicate well with people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
With some helpful tools and tips for the workplace from RNID, creating an inclusive workplace doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple gestures – like making conversations, meetings, and information easy for everyone to access, and using clear inclusive language – help create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts.
If you run a business, or know someone who does, ask them to sign up to receive our free resources at https://rnid.uk/InclusiveWorkplace to help your team become more deaf aware. Join us in showing that supporting colleagues who are deaf or have hearing loss really does matter.
Sincerely,
Frankie Garforth
Inclusion Programme Lead at RNID
