The 6th-13th May is Deaf Awareness Week in the UK, where 12million people are Deaf, or hard of hearing, with 'hard of hearing' including individuals with some hearing loss, as well as those with conditions such as tinnitus and Auditory Processing Disorder.
At The Productive Pessimist, our Director and Management Consultancy Lead, Ash, lives with tinnitus, Auditory Processing Disorder, and some manual hearing loss. He has given a short insight into the challenges this causes him, and what helps (and what makes life an absolute nightmare!)
Ash:
I found out I had physical (referred to as 'manual') hearing loss in my teens. At the age of 38, I have very limited hearing in my left ear, though my right ear is fine. (Frustratingly, this is completely the opposite way round to my sight loss, where I have no sight in my right eye, and limited sight in my left - if the ears and eyes could link up, that would be great!) Fortunately, my hearing is not likely to deteriorate any further than anyone else's does as they age - I just have a little less to start with.
I experience episodic tinnitus, and can have months where I'm not bothered by it at all. When I do experience it, it's a loud whistling sound - imagine an enthusiastic, trigger-happy referee at a particularly lively sports game, who's decided to take up position just inside your ear.
When I'm experiencing tinnitus, I struggle to concentrate, especially on verbal communication, which is already compromised by the manual hearing loss I have, and it becomes impossible for me to hold a telephone or Zoom conversation.
Auditory Processing Disorder is the one it's easiest to laugh about, because it results in some really amusing mis-hearings at times! If that were all APD was, I wouldn't consider it an issue at all. Unfortunately, it means that, in very noisy environments (pubs, shopping centres, supermarkets, open plan offices), verbal communication becomes a kind of 'noise soup', where no actual words are distinguishable; essentially, this is owing to a 'misfire' in my brain, which decides that what I really need to know about is every. single. background sound...rather than what the person sitting next to or across from me is saying!
Even in quiet settings, APD can cause me to perceive spoken English (my native language) as a foreign language, and to experience foreign languages as 'English I can't quite hear well enough to understand.'
At The Productive Pessimist, our Director and Management Consultancy Lead, Ash, lives with tinnitus, Auditory Processing Disorder, and some manual hearing loss. He has given a short insight into the challenges this causes him, and what helps (and what makes life an absolute nightmare!)
Ash:
I found out I had physical (referred to as 'manual') hearing loss in my teens. At the age of 38, I have very limited hearing in my left ear, though my right ear is fine. (Frustratingly, this is completely the opposite way round to my sight loss, where I have no sight in my right eye, and limited sight in my left - if the ears and eyes could link up, that would be great!) Fortunately, my hearing is not likely to deteriorate any further than anyone else's does as they age - I just have a little less to start with.
I experience episodic tinnitus, and can have months where I'm not bothered by it at all. When I do experience it, it's a loud whistling sound - imagine an enthusiastic, trigger-happy referee at a particularly lively sports game, who's decided to take up position just inside your ear.
When I'm experiencing tinnitus, I struggle to concentrate, especially on verbal communication, which is already compromised by the manual hearing loss I have, and it becomes impossible for me to hold a telephone or Zoom conversation.
Auditory Processing Disorder is the one it's easiest to laugh about, because it results in some really amusing mis-hearings at times! If that were all APD was, I wouldn't consider it an issue at all. Unfortunately, it means that, in very noisy environments (pubs, shopping centres, supermarkets, open plan offices), verbal communication becomes a kind of 'noise soup', where no actual words are distinguishable; essentially, this is owing to a 'misfire' in my brain, which decides that what I really need to know about is every. single. background sound...rather than what the person sitting next to or across from me is saying!
Even in quiet settings, APD can cause me to perceive spoken English (my native language) as a foreign language, and to experience foreign languages as 'English I can't quite hear well enough to understand.'
Being in loud, busy environments is actually physically draining for me. If people start arguing in a meeting, I end up zoning out - not through choice, but simply because my brain gives up on being able to follow what has become the equivalent of an old cassette tape falling off its spools as it's playing. The current trend of open plan offices was hell for me when I was in PAYE employment, and, unfortunately, it wasn't something that could be 'accommodated away'. The office is the office, and you often don't get to know what kind of environment you'll be working in until you go to interview; if you're currently on welfare in the UK, you're not allowed to turn down a job if it's offered to you, nor are you allowed to give a deliberately poor interview performance to ensure you don't get offered the job in the first place, and the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) do not consider "I literally wouldn't have been able to work in that environment" to be a legitimate reason for not accepting a job.
Something that should be a simple, zero-cost accommodation for my hearing issues is the request I always make of "Could communication be sent by email, rather than passed on verbally in meetings, or have an expectation of a phone call?" I've always explained why email is easiest for me - and I've always received the kind of response that would be appropriate if I'd asked to be allowed to have five tigers and a couple of wolf packs in the office while I'm working.
"I personally find it a lot easier to just pick up the phone."
"People don't tend to respond to emails - if they're in a meeting, they can't ignore you."
"Oh, I don't have time to be writing emails about everything!"
These are all responses I've received to the statement that:
"I have some mild hearing loss, including complications with tinnitus; I can struggle to take in verbal information, especially over the phone, so could I ask that information is conveyed to me via email, exclusively, please? I will obviously prioritise a prompt response to email communication." (My usual response time in an office is 2-3hrs; if it's flagged as urgent, I drop what I'm doing and respond at once.)
I have tried to learn British Sign Language, but, unfortunately, my sight loss makes it almost impossible, especially with multi-channel signs. (I am able to sign that I am blind, which at least enables me to seem less rude than I might otherwise do, and I am working on learning finger spelling.)
Something that should be a simple, zero-cost accommodation for my hearing issues is the request I always make of "Could communication be sent by email, rather than passed on verbally in meetings, or have an expectation of a phone call?" I've always explained why email is easiest for me - and I've always received the kind of response that would be appropriate if I'd asked to be allowed to have five tigers and a couple of wolf packs in the office while I'm working.
"I personally find it a lot easier to just pick up the phone."
"People don't tend to respond to emails - if they're in a meeting, they can't ignore you."
"Oh, I don't have time to be writing emails about everything!"
These are all responses I've received to the statement that:
"I have some mild hearing loss, including complications with tinnitus; I can struggle to take in verbal information, especially over the phone, so could I ask that information is conveyed to me via email, exclusively, please? I will obviously prioritise a prompt response to email communication." (My usual response time in an office is 2-3hrs; if it's flagged as urgent, I drop what I'm doing and respond at once.)
I have tried to learn British Sign Language, but, unfortunately, my sight loss makes it almost impossible, especially with multi-channel signs. (I am able to sign that I am blind, which at least enables me to seem less rude than I might otherwise do, and I am working on learning finger spelling.)
I recently came across a suggestion that 're-tuning' the brain to high frequency human vocalisations (as the person presenting the concept termed it) could help with Auditory Processing Disorder; as I've always found it more difficult to process women's voices than men's, that made sense, and I followed the process, using sopranos singing operatic arias, and the Hallelujiah Chorus of Handel's Messiah, and, so far, it has made the 'language garbling' that happens in quieter environments less of an issue, and I'm now able to hold a simple conversation with someone against low level background noise.
Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done for either tinnitus, or the hearing loss I already have - people just need to be less afraid of email, when they themselves have no access barriers to using it, I think!
Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done for either tinnitus, or the hearing loss I already have - people just need to be less afraid of email, when they themselves have no access barriers to using it, I think!
Our Neurodiversity and Gender Inclusion Lead, Morgana, also has Auditory Processing Disorder, and uses British Sign Language.
Morgana:
I think my biggest frustration is that 'everyday use as a person with hearing impairment' isn't considered 'acceptable' for being employed as a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter, and it's really expensive to access the more advanced levels, beyond what an average person with hearing impairment who already uses BSL regularly, would already know. Given that society is verbal-as-default, Deaf and hearing-impaired people are often significantly disadvantaged in terms of getting employment at all, and especially well-paid employment.
I feel this may change as the UK education system comes around to the idea that British Sign Language is a language - it was an outrageous example of ableism for the Conservative government to claim BSL "couldn't be taught as a language in education, as teaching languages requires a verbal use assessment." Sign-Supported English, where BSL signs are used in conjunction with normative spoken grammar (BSL has its own grammar, which is distinct from spoken grammatical protocols), is routinely used by people who are new to BSL, or who are more so hearing impaired than Deaf, so there is a verbal element. The written element would be very simple; the presentation of correct/inaccurate hand positionings for various signs, with students asked to identify the correct sign, and to present both BSL grammar and Sign Supported English grammar.
While I am always in favour of workplaces improving their disability inclusion, obviously, the trend to "let's all do a short course in basic BSL!" very often comes across as "entertainment for hearing people" rather than being motivated by a genuine desire to include Deaf colleagues, clients, and customers - who may or may not be BSL users themselves. In Deaf communities, it is actually more common to ask someone you're meeting for the first time "Do you have speech?"(BSL grammar!), signing the question and speaking it - some Deaf people can speak quite well, others can speak, but find signing easier, and some will have very limited or no speech - it largely depends on at what age the person began to lose their hearing, and how supportive of them learning BSL their family was.
If a person is hearing impaired, and is comfortable speaking, it's often more effective simply to find a quiet area, and use simplified (but not 'childish') language, and pausing frequently to ensure the other person has time to process what has been said, and to ask clarifying questions if they need to.
If a person is Deaf and exclusively uses BSL, it is more practical, and, in fact, more inclusive, to ensure you have an experienced BSL user available - another great reason for being more open to employing Deaf people, as they will be able to communicate sector-specific terms effectively in BSL.
Also, try and remember that, if a Deaf person doesn't also have a visual impairment or learning difficulty, they can read and write just the same as you can!
Perhaps the most pernicious, and most damaging, attitude is that "Deaf children are always learning disabled, as well."
They're not - no more than the child who simply needs glasses so they can actually see what they're working on is 'learning disabled.'
Some Deaf people do have learning difficulties as a separate condition, but even these individuals are just as intelligent as the average person - they just need able-bodied, neurotypical, cognitively normative people to make more of an effort than such people seem to be inclined to do in order to support them expressing their ideas and opinions.
For people, including children, who are only Deaf/hearing impaired, the issue isn't a 'learning difficulty', but a teaching disability; teachers feel 'put upon' if they have to vary their communication style in any way, often taking the attitude that "these kids should be grateful they're allowed to be in a nice, comfy classroom, rather than being made to go out and work!", and often bringing the resentments they have against their own children into a classroom of other peoples'. If you can't let go of your resentment at having to work, or at the way your children behave, please reconsider teaching as a career.
This attitude continues into interaction with Deaf/hearing impaired adults, and is a significant reason behind the employment gap that Deaf/hearing impaired people experience compared to their hearing peers; employers assume a Deaf person "won't understand complex information", so default to not hiring them. Judgements around the so-called 'Deaf Accent', common among people who began to lose their hearing in childhood or very early adulthood, also add to this disadvantagement.
Some Zero-Cost Accessibility Tweaks for Deaf Inclusion:
1. Ask everyone what their preferred communication method is - and follow that, unless you have disability barriers to doing so. (in which case, discuss those, and work together to find methods that work for you both.)
2. Back up all verbal information, for everyone, with a written version.
3. Allow non-customer facing staff to wear headphones while they are working, and use Teams or other instant-messaging to communicate when an immediate response is required, rather than going over to them, waiting for them to remove their headphones, etc.
4. If you're communicating verbally, don't rush it! Pause frequently, check in with "does that make sense to you, or do you have questions?" Keep your language simple without being childish. (Simplified language: "Today, we'll be exchanging ideas on how we can improve over the next five years."
Chilidish language: "So, every year, for the next five years, we need to be doing new things to make more money. Today, we're going to sit down and talk about what new things we could do."
Unnecessarily complex language: "The agenda for today's meeting will centre around our five-year plan, where we're especially looking for uplifts in business development and net revenues received.")
Morgana:
I think my biggest frustration is that 'everyday use as a person with hearing impairment' isn't considered 'acceptable' for being employed as a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter, and it's really expensive to access the more advanced levels, beyond what an average person with hearing impairment who already uses BSL regularly, would already know. Given that society is verbal-as-default, Deaf and hearing-impaired people are often significantly disadvantaged in terms of getting employment at all, and especially well-paid employment.
I feel this may change as the UK education system comes around to the idea that British Sign Language is a language - it was an outrageous example of ableism for the Conservative government to claim BSL "couldn't be taught as a language in education, as teaching languages requires a verbal use assessment." Sign-Supported English, where BSL signs are used in conjunction with normative spoken grammar (BSL has its own grammar, which is distinct from spoken grammatical protocols), is routinely used by people who are new to BSL, or who are more so hearing impaired than Deaf, so there is a verbal element. The written element would be very simple; the presentation of correct/inaccurate hand positionings for various signs, with students asked to identify the correct sign, and to present both BSL grammar and Sign Supported English grammar.
While I am always in favour of workplaces improving their disability inclusion, obviously, the trend to "let's all do a short course in basic BSL!" very often comes across as "entertainment for hearing people" rather than being motivated by a genuine desire to include Deaf colleagues, clients, and customers - who may or may not be BSL users themselves. In Deaf communities, it is actually more common to ask someone you're meeting for the first time "Do you have speech?"(BSL grammar!), signing the question and speaking it - some Deaf people can speak quite well, others can speak, but find signing easier, and some will have very limited or no speech - it largely depends on at what age the person began to lose their hearing, and how supportive of them learning BSL their family was.
If a person is hearing impaired, and is comfortable speaking, it's often more effective simply to find a quiet area, and use simplified (but not 'childish') language, and pausing frequently to ensure the other person has time to process what has been said, and to ask clarifying questions if they need to.
If a person is Deaf and exclusively uses BSL, it is more practical, and, in fact, more inclusive, to ensure you have an experienced BSL user available - another great reason for being more open to employing Deaf people, as they will be able to communicate sector-specific terms effectively in BSL.
Also, try and remember that, if a Deaf person doesn't also have a visual impairment or learning difficulty, they can read and write just the same as you can!
Perhaps the most pernicious, and most damaging, attitude is that "Deaf children are always learning disabled, as well."
They're not - no more than the child who simply needs glasses so they can actually see what they're working on is 'learning disabled.'
Some Deaf people do have learning difficulties as a separate condition, but even these individuals are just as intelligent as the average person - they just need able-bodied, neurotypical, cognitively normative people to make more of an effort than such people seem to be inclined to do in order to support them expressing their ideas and opinions.
For people, including children, who are only Deaf/hearing impaired, the issue isn't a 'learning difficulty', but a teaching disability; teachers feel 'put upon' if they have to vary their communication style in any way, often taking the attitude that "these kids should be grateful they're allowed to be in a nice, comfy classroom, rather than being made to go out and work!", and often bringing the resentments they have against their own children into a classroom of other peoples'. If you can't let go of your resentment at having to work, or at the way your children behave, please reconsider teaching as a career.
This attitude continues into interaction with Deaf/hearing impaired adults, and is a significant reason behind the employment gap that Deaf/hearing impaired people experience compared to their hearing peers; employers assume a Deaf person "won't understand complex information", so default to not hiring them. Judgements around the so-called 'Deaf Accent', common among people who began to lose their hearing in childhood or very early adulthood, also add to this disadvantagement.
Some Zero-Cost Accessibility Tweaks for Deaf Inclusion:
1. Ask everyone what their preferred communication method is - and follow that, unless you have disability barriers to doing so. (in which case, discuss those, and work together to find methods that work for you both.)
2. Back up all verbal information, for everyone, with a written version.
3. Allow non-customer facing staff to wear headphones while they are working, and use Teams or other instant-messaging to communicate when an immediate response is required, rather than going over to them, waiting for them to remove their headphones, etc.
4. If you're communicating verbally, don't rush it! Pause frequently, check in with "does that make sense to you, or do you have questions?" Keep your language simple without being childish. (Simplified language: "Today, we'll be exchanging ideas on how we can improve over the next five years."
Chilidish language: "So, every year, for the next five years, we need to be doing new things to make more money. Today, we're going to sit down and talk about what new things we could do."
Unnecessarily complex language: "The agenda for today's meeting will centre around our five-year plan, where we're especially looking for uplifts in business development and net revenues received.")
5. Turn off background music, advertisement tannoy announcements, etc.
6. If your business allows children on-site (eg, shops, libraries, cafes), make it a policy that parents are to remove them if they become excessively loud. (The literal shrieking that so many children do when they're "playing" is... a bit much, for a considerable number of people, quite apart from the fact that children shouldn't be "playing" in shops, cafes, etc anyway. Infants crying, or children talking a little too loudly, is not 'excessively loud.' Consider having one day per week which is dedicated to children, when policies on noise are waived. Keep it to the SAME day each week, and publicise it widely, including on your physical premises.)
7. Public transport providers - refuse to allow riders who won't use headphones when they're listening to audio/video on their phones at high volume. One warning to either turn it down, or use headphones, and then they're put off the bus/train. On planes, simply refuse to allow electronics in-flight.
6. If your business allows children on-site (eg, shops, libraries, cafes), make it a policy that parents are to remove them if they become excessively loud. (The literal shrieking that so many children do when they're "playing" is... a bit much, for a considerable number of people, quite apart from the fact that children shouldn't be "playing" in shops, cafes, etc anyway. Infants crying, or children talking a little too loudly, is not 'excessively loud.' Consider having one day per week which is dedicated to children, when policies on noise are waived. Keep it to the SAME day each week, and publicise it widely, including on your physical premises.)
7. Public transport providers - refuse to allow riders who won't use headphones when they're listening to audio/video on their phones at high volume. One warning to either turn it down, or use headphones, and then they're put off the bus/train. On planes, simply refuse to allow electronics in-flight.
For a tailored consultation on the best way for your business or organisation to maximise effective inclusion, reach out to The Productive Pessimist Ltd by
email: theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com, or phone us, Tuesday-Saturday 8.30am-6.30pm, on 0748 2017 927.
We look forward to working with you.
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