Hiding Your Hearing Loss May Cause Troubles in the Workplace

The first instinct of many facing the development of hearing loss may be to hide it from others in social or workplace settings. While this may be effective in the early stages through the implementation of tricks like lipreading and increased email communication, eventually this may grow difficult to maintain. As evidenced by Katherine Bouton’s recent memoir about hearing loss and other recent articles, the best strategy for facing the development of hearing loss is honest communication with those in your work and social environments. This may be particularly important for relationships with supervisors, who may get the wrong impression if unaware of your hearing situation.

The urge to camouflage a hearing issue is completely natural, and is something that is often attempted regardless of the age or situation of the individual. This is likely due to the desire held by most people to fit in, to appear normal, and to not stand out in any way that could be interpreted as negative. Yet hearing loss is surprisingly common, affecting nearly 35 million Americans over the age of 18.

Openness and Honesty Leads to Better Working Relationships

Author Bouton said that she had a complicated system of working relationships as she began to lose her hearing, trying to keep it a secret but eventually needing to share it with others due to its severity. “I had to tell people,” she wrote in her memoir.” Some tried to accommodate me; others seemed to simply forget.” Her experience suggested that the best way to approach this issue with co-workers might be to have an open relationship from the beginning, giving the problem the weight it deserves.
Far from the fears of many suffering from hearing loss, this may greatly improve one’s reputation with their coworkers. Bouton wrote that people who didn’t realize she had a problem just assumed she was a bad communicator, employee or team player. Once they found out that it was hearing loss that was creating the difficulties, her working relationships improved dramatically.
In addition, United States legislation dictates that employees cannot be discriminated against due to physical handicaps. While hearing loss may reasonably make one less suited for some job responsibilities, those who unfairly discriminate face severe penalties and legal action. As a result, many companies provide their workers with excellent support for hearing loss and its impact on the work environment.
Other Benefits of an Open Dialogue

In addition to the benefits previously mentioned, an open conversation about one’s hearing loss may lead to opportunities and assistance that would not otherwise have occurred. Companies may have resources that are designed to benefit those with hearing difficulties, or there may be other ways that open communication can help to modify the work environment. On an interpersonal level, talking about these struggles may lead to unexpected connections with others who are facing similar struggles themselves, or have known someone with hearing loss. This may result in recommendations for healthcare options, strategies, and other possible benefits. By choosing openness, it may become easier to face hearing loss in the workplace and in all aspects of your life.