Employing Deaf People

A small amount of effort and a little understanding can make the lives of deaf people so much easier and will go a long way to expanding their participation in the workplace. This is according to Kim Krynauw, organiser of Disability 2007 (incorporating Nedbank Disability SA Expo 2007 and the ACSA Disability Conference) which takes place from the 1st to 3rd November at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Awareness is a key factor in integrating People with Disabilities (PWDs) into the workplace.

In South Africa, there are currently over 412 000 profoundly deaf people and 1 237 264 extremely hard of hearing people. There are numerous causes of deafness, including hereditary factors, accidents and illness. As our population ages, many older people are experiencing hearing loss, and many younger people, who are exposed to a particular noisy environment, are also encountering the same loss.

Abram Maripane, a Social Auxiliary Worker for the Deaf Federation of Mpumalanga believes that there are no particular jobs that are suited particularly for deaf people. “It all depends on the individual’s choice”, he says. “He/she can be an accountant, he/she can be the president! However currently deaf people are given a lot of “low level positions” – largely due to lack of employers understanding of disability”.

Abram strongly believes that fellow employees also need to be trained on deaf culture. “This is necessary to change attitudes among fellow employees.”

Some small but impactful things that employers can do to make the workplace more accessible for the Deaf include:
- Ensuring that the office and/or work environment has adequate lighting
- Placing the worker in a quieter environment if environmental noise interferes with communication
- Arranging the work station in a way that the worker can readily see when someone is entering their office or work-site
- Using assistive listening devices when needed
- Using interpreters (oral and/or sign) when needed
- Being aware of your personal habits that may serve as barriers to comfortable speechreading. Examples include hands in front of mouth, not directly facing employee, and chewing while talking.
- Encouraging co-workers and supervisors to learn sign language by offering training classes
- Providing visual and auditory alerting devices on telephones and fire alarm systems
- Convex mirrors can be placed in small areas so that deaf people can see around corners and be more aware of approaching people and vehicles.
- Flashing lights can be installed which operate consecutively with alarm systems.
- Communication accommodations such as text telephones. SMS, e-mail and fax may be used as the primary method of communication.
- Information can be shared by means of networked computers.

In many instances, communication accommodations may be useful to all employees, not just those who are deaf or hard of hearing. The most important consideration is to identify the communication situations in which the deaf or hard of hearing employee is experiencing difficulty.

“By taking a few simple steps in the workplace, more PWDs can become active contributors to the growth of our economy”, concludes Kim. “It will also assist in breaking down the social barrier that now exists between PWDs and mainstream society“.

Deaf people are perfectly capable of performing any kind of job. All it takes is a little bit of understanding and awareness. Employers can make the workplace so much more accessible by providing simple, cost-effective changes.

Disability 2007 (incorporating Nedbank Disability SA Expo 2007 and the ACSA Disability Conference) is the lifestyle show for people with any type of disabilities. It is the only opportunity in South Africa where people can see and learn more about what lifestyle choices are available for PWDs. A number of products, technologies and information for deaf people will be on exhibit this year. Deaf SA, as well as the SA Association, will also have stands at the show which people can visit for more information.

This year’s event has been expanded to include an exciting array of activities, including:
- Wheelchair basketball demonstrations
- Wheelchair tennis demonstrations and clinics
- Golf clinics, demonstrations and competitions being organised by the SA Disabled Golf Association
- Wheelchair dancing
- Motivational talks by Oscar Pistorius, our double amputee athlete who won two Paralympic medals in Athens

This year’s event is being sponsored by Airports Company South Africa, Cell C and Nedbank.

For more information on the event, contact the event organisers. Overall management of the expo and conference: Bette McNaughton of Fair Consultants SA. Tel: (021) 713 3360. Fax: (021) 713 3366. E-mail:
Website: www.fairconsultants.com

Expo Information: Kim Krynauw. Cell: 084-710-6496, E-mail:
Website: www.disabilityexpo.co.za

Media and Publicity: Catherine Larkin. Tel: 011 789-7327. Cell: 083 300 0331. E-mail:


READ MORE Disability 2007 (incorporating Nedbank Disability SA Expo 2007 and the ACSA Disability Conference) / Succeeding at Sport and Reaching for Dreams / Medical care vital to helping and improving the lives of People with Disabilities / Employing Deaf People / Strong Growth in Support for Disability 2007 / Disability / Flyfishing for People with Disabilities / Proper Facilities essential for success

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