Jennings Mary Beth, Shaw Lynn
National Centre for Audiology, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Work. 2008;30(3):289-95.
The number of adults with hearing loss who continue to work later in life is growing. Persons with hearing loss are generally unaware of the role that audiologists, occupational therapists, and vocational rehabilitation counsellors might play in the assessment of the workplace environment and appropriate accommodations. Three narratives of adults with hearing loss are used to demonstrate the gaps in accessing information, technology and services needed to maintain optimal work performance and productivity. The lack of recognition of the multidimensional needs of older workers with hearing loss and the lack of timely coordination of services led to all three persons acting alone in trying to access services and supports. In two of the three cases the impact of the hearing loss resulted in further unexpected losses such as the loss of employment and the loss of a worker-identity. There is an urgent need for partnering with persons who are hard of hearing to develop new strategies for knowledge exchange, more thorough assessment of hearing demands and modifications in the workplace, and interdisciplinary approaches to service specific to the needs of hard of hearing persons.
成年后仍继续工作的听力损失者数量正在增加。听力损失者通常不知道听力学家、职业治疗师和职业康复顾问在评估工作场所环境及提供适当便利方面可能发挥的作用。通过三位成年听力损失者的经历来展示在获取维持最佳工作表现和生产力所需的信息、技术及服务方面存在的差距。对老年听力损失工作者多维度需求的认识不足以及服务缺乏及时协调，导致这三人在寻求服务和支持时只能独自行动。在三个案例中的两个案例里，听力损失的影响还导致了进一步意想不到的损失，如失业和失去工作身份。迫切需要与听力障碍者合作，制定新的知识交流策略，更全面地评估听力需求及工作场所的调整，并针对听力障碍者的需求采用跨学科服务方法。
