World Hearing Day
What is World Hearing Day?
World Hearing Day takes place annually on the 3rd of March, an opportunity to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss whilst also promoting ear and hearing care across the globe.
In the UK today, more than 11 million people are living with hearing loss, showing the importance of understanding and awareness of the issue.
Each year the WHO chooses a theme; in 2023 the theme is ‘Ear and hearing care for all’.
World Hearing Day and Employment
Organisations who are accessible are attractive to individuals who suffer with hearing loss, broadening the talent pool, and enabling staff to reach their full potential. Ways to make your organisation accessible include:
- Sharing social media posts and using recognised hashtags to create an online conversation on the day
- Starting your journey to becoming a Disability Confident Employer
- Ensuring policies and procedures are inclusive
- Adopting an inclusive recruitment approach, to accommodate individual’s needs.
- Providing disability awareness training for all employees
- Carrying out Workplace Risk Assessments
- Supporting employees by providing reasonable adjustments, consulting with employees on their needs to make sure suitable solutions are provided
- Adjust the layout of a meeting room and use good lighting to help staff see each other clearly, as this is important for lipreading.
- Provide a portable hearing loop, or other listening device, for employees with hearing loss to use during periods spent away from the office.
Best practice employers provide reasonable adjustments for all, to normalise the need for extra support and create truly inclusive workplaces
