Guest Author - Kelli Deister

Perhaps one of the most widely discussed issues, regarding employment and the Deaf, is that of safety on the job. Employers often speak out their concerns of job safety with strong emphasis, especially when it comes to the Deaf. However, they often fail to provide adequate safety on the job for their Deaf and hard of hearing employees.

Job safety is not merely about concerns for employers. It is also a strong concern for those that are Deaf and hard of hearing. For instance, many employers speak with their Deaf employees daily, through writing. Have you tried communicating with someone in the midst of an emergency? Let’s play this scenario out for a bit. There’s a fire in the workplace and no interpreter to alert the Deaf individual. The Deaf person sees their peers running around hysterical and has no clue what is happening. What is the employer going to do? Instruct someone to write the Deaf individual a note, before they escape from the fire? Grab them by their arm and jerk them alongside of them, as they escape? This might sound rather obnoxious, but without a certified interpreter on the job for the Deaf, this is a very real possibility.

Employers hold employee meetings, in which they provide valuable and pertinent information and oftentimnes fail to provide a qualified and certified interpreter. Why do some employers feel that it is okay for them to request an employee that has minimal sign language knowledge to interpret vital information to the Deaf population under their employment? Perhaps the employer that does this should plug their ears completely during an important meeting with their superiors and then they would understand how frustrating it is for the Deaf who are expected to function without the same knowledge given to their peers. This might sound harsh to some; however, it is factual.

In recent years, there have been shootings on job sites. I wonder what would happen to those that are Deaf on the job, when they are unable to hear any shots being fired or the screams and pleas for help. Ultimately, you and I both know that they are left in danger’s way, to a great extent. The Deaf that are in that situation are left completely unprotected. Another example would be a fire. Are there adequate alert systems for the Deaf employee, in order for them to be aware of a fire? Or does the employer merely rely on a smoke alarm, which their Deaf employees cannot hear? Lastly, what happens to the Deaf employee that is using machinery, when the machine begins to alert the user to a mechanical problem, through the special sounds it makes? Has the employer installed adequate preventative equipment, in order to alert the Deaf to the machine’s breakage, to protect them from harm?

Rather than employers arguing that safety on the job is an issue for them, therefore, they don’t hire any individuals with hearing loss, I suggest that employers take the time to thoroughly study our laws in place in the United States for accommodations for those that are disabled. Providing accommodations for the Deaf is not an option -- it is a requirement, by law. The Deaf deserve to be protected on the job, without the risk of losing their job simply because an employer seemingly refuses to comply with established laws.