Working Remotely with Hearing Loss
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers are working remotely for the first time. For people with hearing loss, this can present new challenges, and it can be overwhelming to navigate this new normal. We have gathered some tips to help you figure out the best way to work remotely and communicate with coworkers during virtual meetings so they can be more productive.
Start with Introductions
By starting the meeting going around introducing yourselves, especially if there are new people in the meeting, can help people with hearing loss and ensure they can hear everyone in the meeting. Have a few minutes of general conversation catching up on each other’s lives before discussing the nature of the meeting.
Always Use Video
Try always to conduct meetings using video, because then can see gestures and read lips to help understand any parts of the conversation that are missed.
Work in Good Lighting
Make sure the lighting is bright enough and placed in front of you so that there aren’t shadows on your face. If the light is behind you and pointing towards your webcam, then it makes facial features hard to see.
Keep Your Face Clear
While speaking, keep your hair, hands, and clothing away from your face, especially your mouth. Make sure to speak slowly and clearly so that listeners can understand you.
Turn on Mute
If one person is conducting the meeting and doing all or part of the speaking, everyone else needs to mute their microphone. This will make it much easier to understand the speaker without a lot of additional background noise.
Take Turns
Before starting the meeting, ask that the meeting organizer remind everyone to take turns talking. This will help so people don’t talk over each other, which can be very difficult to understand one statement from the next.
Use Screen Sharing
When discussing a specific document or resource, share your screen with other meeting participants so they can see what you are talking about. If needed, use a slideshow presentation that both shows the document and has accompanying text. You can also use your computer mouse as a digital pointer so people can focus on a particular area.
Record the Meeting
It is always helpful to record the meeting and share it with others that may have missed part or all of it. With today’s unusual circumstances of people both working at home and watching children or helping them with e-Learning, not everyone will be available all at the same time. It is essential to be understanding of these challenges and work together to support one another.
If you find working remotely challenging, we are available to help support you in any way that we can. Contact us at 864-881-1663 to schedule an appointment at any of our four convenient locations in Simpsonville, Greer, Travelers Rest, and Greenville.