Office Layout

When planning the layout of an office it is important to remember if you have a Deaf or Hearing Impaired person working with you that there are a number of things you can do to enable the person to participate fully in the work place.

 The deaf person should not sit with their back to a door as they will not be able to hear people entering or leaving the room and this can lead to distress.

The best position for a deaf person is where they are able to see the whole office area.

It is also important for them not to sit with their backs to other staff members, as the deaf person will not be aware when people are trying to communicate with them. 

Make sure the environment is deaf friendly, i.e. no background music, photocopiers, faxes, air conditioning etc - hearing aid users will hear this rather than your voice.

If possible a visual fire alarm or pager system should be available. 

Where one is not available, someone should be allocated to alert the deaf person to fire alarms or other dangers as this is essential for Health & Safety regulations.

Communication in the Workplace