ASL translation below 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal and state laws protect employees’ right to communication access at work. The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations. 

Reasonable accommodations are changes to a job, workspace or policy that: 

• Apply to the application and hiring process. 
• Support employees in performing the essential functions of the job. 
• Allow employees to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment. 

One size does not fit all when it comes to accommodations. This is why it is important for employers and employees to work together to determine reasonable workplace accommodations for the employee who is deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. To help employers and employees navigate accommodations, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division developed a fact sheet on Workplace communication access for employers. 

It suggests useful communication strategies, including: 

• Taking turns speaking. 
• Arranging seating so the person with hearing loss can see the speaker’s face. 
• Using a microphone or sound system. 
• Turning on closed captions or subtitles for videos used in meetings, trainings and presentations. 
• Providing a qualified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and/or real-time captioning (CART). 

The fact sheet also suggests possible accommodations to consider based on what needs to be communicated. For more details, download the fact sheet. We encourage employers and employees who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing to understand the employee’s right to communication access at work and the employer’s obligation to provide communication access. 

Would you like to learn more about communication access at work? Please contact us for information and resources tailored to your specific access needs.