Di is one of our wonderful Hear Together volunteers and advocates. Di started to lose her hearing when she was 5 years old due to measles and has always been a consistent user of hearing aids.
Di tells us her story about losing her hearing and the struggles of having a hearing loss while working on busy NHS wards as a nurse. Di was working during the first outbreak of SARS and remembers all too well the challenges of wearing PPE and the impossible task of trying to communicate through masks, drawing parallels with the current covid crisis. One of the most striking parts of Di’s story is the relative lack of knowledge about disability rights for people with hearing loss and the constant battles to self advocate for equal access to information and communication in the work place.
We have come a long way since then and Hear Together would like to remind you of some of the resources you could access:
Our Hear Together community of adults, with regular social meet ups to encourage each other and share tips and resources. Di has made many friends and found sources of support in this group and she is also a real support to members of the group.
Our Hear Together posters to put up in your work place as well as deaf awareness training. See our website for details.
https://www.heartogether.org.uk/how-we-help/adults
Other Resources:
- Hearing Link is a fantastic charity that supports adults with hearing loss. Have a look on their website and click on the link below for excellent resources around Access to work.
https://www.hearinglink.org/living/work-education/access-to-work/
- The RNID has a comprehensive set of resources taking you through everything you will need to know around “Access to work” and self advocating for your rights in the work place.
https://rnid.org.uk/information-and-support/work/
- Louder than words has a great post explaining the 2010 Equality Act
- Ideas for Ears has something similar with lots of tips around communication:
https://www.ideasforears.org.uk/useful-info/equality-act-2010-and-people-with-hearing-loss/
- Department for work and Pensions has a useful document called: WHAT WORKS: HEARING LOSS AND EMPLOYMENT
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hearing-loss-what-works-guide-employment.pdf
The IDA Institute have a resource called "Living Well", helping adults to identify when and where it’s most important for them to communicate well and recommending the best hearing technologies and communication strategies.