d/DEAF
The work environment can have a big impact on d/Deaf and hard of hearing employee's experience. The Access to Work Scheme can also provide workplace assessments to ensure that d/Deaf employees get the best support for their needs and that workplace barriers can be removed.
Here are some things that we could think about to support people.
improve the acoustics: soft furnishings like carpets, install acoustic panels and fit rubber caps on chair and table legs
Layout and positioning - make sure your d/Deaf employees are working in a space that has good acoustics and where they can see the rest of the room clearly. Think about the layout of meetings - can everyone be seen clearly? If a d/Deaf or hard of hearing person needs to lip read it will be important for them to see everyone's face.
Music - we all love a bit of music to help with our mood, however can there be a compromise where it is played at a lower volume? Don't be scared to ask someone what they need to help them in the workplace.
NEXT are beginning to review their job advertisements to ensure that we are actively encouraging all aspects of diversity in the recruitment process. We actively encourage applications from all underrepresented groups into roles within NEXT.
Find out more here
BSL - British Sign Language
British Sign Language is the most common form of sign language in the UK. It was recognised as a language in its own right in 2003 and legally as an official language of Britain in 2022.
At NEXT we have a number of d/Deaf employees who use a mixture of lip reading and sign language to communicate but as there are over 300 variations of sign language just i British Sign language alone, finding the right way to communicate with people can take some practice. There are many ways in which this can be done, a great video resource to use can be found here.
