On This Page
About Deafness
An individual may be born with deafness or hearing loss or may become deaf or hard of hearing because of illness, a medication side effect, injury, noise exposure, or as part of the aging process. Those who acquire deafness later in life often have different communication preferences from those who are deaf from early childhood. Members of the deaf community may identify as culturally deaf and use sign language even if they have some hearing. Some people who are deaf may use cochlear implants or hearing aids while other may choose not to use these types of assistive technology. The accommodation needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing vary depending on individual needs and preferences as well as job requirements.
Deafness and the Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA does not contain a definitive list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities. Instead, the ADA defines a person with a disability as someone who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more "major life activities," (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. For more information about how to determine whether a person has a disability under the ADA, see How to Determine Whether a Person Has a Disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA).
Accommodating Employees with Deafness
People who are deaf may develop some of the limitations discussed below, but seldom develop all of them. Also, the degree of limitation will vary among individuals. Be aware that not all people who are deaf will need accommodations to perform their jobs and many others may only need a few accommodations. The following is only a sample of the possibilities available. Numerous other accommodation solutions may exist.
Questions to Consider:
- What limitations is the employee experiencing?
- How do these limitations affect the employee and the employee’s job performance?
- What specific job tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations?
- What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these problems? Are all possible resources being used to determine possible accommodations?
- Once accommodations are in place, would it be useful to meet with the employee to evaluate the effectiveness of the accommodations and to determine whether additional accommodations are needed?
- Do supervisory personnel and employees need training?
Accommodation Ideas:
Situations and Solutions:
Explore accommodation situations and solutions by using the Situations and Solutions Finder.
JAN Publications & Articles Regarding Deafness
Publications
Consultants' Corner Articles
Articles
- Accommodating Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employees in Virtual Meetings
- Accommodating Employees with Hearing Aids: A Beginner's Guide to T-coils
- Accommodating Employees with Ménière’s Disease
- Accommodations for Educators who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Finding an Interpreter for an Interview
- Relay Calls: Types and How to Make a Call
- Sign Language Interpreters
- Teleconference Accessibility and Hearing-Keeping Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employees in the Loop