What's it like to work in an office when you are deaf?

Working in an office can be a minefield for anybody, but for a deaf person, there's the added possibility of missing out when it comes to communication. This can come down to levels of background noise, people mumbling (making it hard to lipread) or not getting your attention to tell you important information – all of which can affect your career. I spoke to a number of deaf office workers, some of whom use lipreading to communicate, others sign language, to find out about their working experiences, both good and bad, and their tips on how to thrive in the office.

First, your working environment can be crucial. I am partially deaf, and wear hearing aids, which I use along with lipreading to communicate. A company I worked for once moved to an office that had high ceilings throughout, and wooden floors. Easy on the eye perhaps, but sounds seemed to echo everywhere as phone calls were taken and meetings took place. I found I could not understand people unless I was right next to them, and so ultimately, I started to feel isolated, and out of the loop. I soon left the company.

The layout of an office can also be an issue. A deaf journalist I spoke to told me that hot desking creates problems because the colleagues around you change frequently, making it more difficult to educate them about deaf awareness. Meanwhile, a finance manager in a large global firm said that in open-plan offices, where conversations spring up more informally, before deaf people have a chance to visually follow them, "it can be difficult to take advantage of knowledge that will help you perform your role better, join in office banter and humour, and to understand the 'mood' of the office." Luckily he now has his own office which compels his colleagues to talk to him directly.

Many of the people I spoke to said they were the only deaf person in their workplace. Nicola Strahan, who works in finance, said: "Many colleagues had not met a deaf person before, and were a bit apprehensive and curious as to how I would integrate with them." Strahan's approach was to openly explain her methods of communication and invite questions about any aspect of her deafness.

Tina O'Malley, who runs O'Malley Communications, says it's hard to get people to slow down when they talk. "I've had 'I don't have time to slow down' 'I'm nervous, I can't help talking fast' 'Yes of course I'll slow down, so sorry' then two minutes later they are at full speed again."

She also said: "A lot of people mumble in a group meeting. My speech to text reporter (who is hearing) will be writing 'Unclear. Unclear. Unclear' so it's up to me to speak up and make good communication happen. This makes me wonder whether hearing people actually listen very much."

Basic deaf awareness skills were often lacking. One person said his manager would always sit in the same place at their weekly meeting – with her back to the window. This created a 'silhouette' effect and made it much harder to lipread her.

Some deaf workers have developed tricks to help them navigate certain situations. Nicola Strahan uses a neon stress ball to keep 'control' of meetings. Whoever is speaking holds the ball, and it is passed or thrown from person to person. She told me: "This reduces people talking over each other and I can instantly see who is speaking, so I miss less." She has also used a baby monitor to alert her to the office doorbell ringing during a weekend interview when the office reception was closed.

Strahan said her manager is highly supportive and her team has taken deaf awareness training. They now jot down key points in meetings and recap them afterwards with her.

Most of the people I spoke to have supportive colleagues. One person working for a large media firm said when her colleagues get phone calls from one of her clients, they kindly remind them that they should email her instead. She also said that her managers "always ensure I attend all important meetings so they don't book these until they know whether or not my sign language interpreter can make it."

Work is one aspect of your career - there's also the social aspect of office life. Tracey Sharp runs Toon Hearing, a resource for people with hearing loss living in Newcastle. She said: "The key thing I miss out on is small talk. The networking and banter that takes place at the beginning or end of meetings, when people are milling around. Or the quick asides that I don't quite catch."

However, some also mentioned the lack of forethought when, for example, colleagues arranged team visits to the cinema without checking if they had subtitles (so they could follow the film).

It's clear that modern technology has transformed communication for many deaf employees: email, instant messenger and video conferencing. However some report being kept waiting for basic equipment. A public sector worker said he has been waiting for almost a year for a textphone facility (so he can make phone calls via typing). Worse, at one stage he was placed in an external office and asked to answer the telephones – even though he was profoundly deaf and relied on lipreading to understand conversations.

So what tips do deaf office workers have? "I am always open and tell (people I am meeting for the first time) that I am deaf. It has never failed me," said the finance manager.

Strahan said: "Take responsibility for your own solutions and ask for help if necessary in implementing these, and speak up if you can't follow a conversation or meeting." Alison Hicking, a community manager who is currently unemployed, said: "Get to know the immediate team well, the rest of the office will learn from their actions."

Laraine Callow, who runs deaf training and consultancy Deafworks, suggests you choose your desk carefully, so you can see everyone in the office. She also says; don't try to be the life and soul of the party, but focus on developing one or two good friendships; meet with your line manager regularly, to ensure there are no misunderstandings and that you're fully informed about what is going on.

O'Malley adds: "Good communication is everyone's responsibility. Give a little deaf awareness training, ensure appropriate communication support is in place, don't forget a sprinkling of humour, and effective communication should be a breeze."

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