EEOC Publishes Guidance for Working with Hard of Hearing and Deaf Employees and Applicants

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released an updated resource document, “Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” explaining how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to job applicants and employees who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other hearing conditions. The document outlines how certain pre- and post-job offer disability-related questions can violate the ADA, describes easy-to-access technologies that can make providing a reasonable accommodation for a hearing disability free or low-cost, addresses employer concerns about safety, and shares realistic scenarios of potential discrimination. In addition to adding information about discrimination against job applicants, the updated document provides new or updated examples that reflect available technologies.

Source:  EEOC 1/24/23