We want everyone working at Carnival UK to feel valued and that they belong – we’re completely committed to creating an inclusive culture where we can openly and confidently be ourselves. We also want everyone to Respect & Protect what makes their colleagues unique – we’re immensely proud of our diverse workforce.
This week is Deaf Awareness Week. Organised by the UK Council on Deafness, Deaf Awareness Week aims to promote the positive aspects of deafness, promote social inclusion and raise awareness of the huge range of local organisations that support deaf people and their family and friends.
Inclusive communication
12,000,000 people in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss. That’s one in five adults. one in five people who face a barrier to communication due to hearing loss…or is it? Perhaps the barrier is actually the four in five adults not enabling more inclusive communication.As the person reading this, there’s a high chance you have hearing loss or work with someone who does. We can all make a choice to be actively inclusive – there are some really simple steps we can all take to smash those barriers to communication and what’s more, they’re helpful steps for everyone working in the virtual world!
Three simple steps to make a difference…
- Face the person you’re talking to and, when not wearing a face mask, don’t cover your mouth – many people lip read as well as, or instead of, using a hearing aid
- Support verbal meetings with written information – beforehand, ask attendees if they have any special requirements and send meeting pre-reads. During the meeting use sub-titles (available on Pro Zoom accounts*) and capture information in writing – use the Zoom whiteboard or chat functions
- Talk at a reasonable pace and avoid background noise
*Raise a Service Request if you need access to a Pro Zoom account.
To continue supporting our colleagues and raising awareness during Deaf Awareness Week, on Wednesday we’re sharing Jacqueline Floyd’s story. Born with 40% hearing loss (which wasn’t discovered until she started university!) Jacqui joined our ships’ company in 2013, before moving to Carnival House in 2016. Look out for more on The Insider.
If you have a hearing impairment and would like additional support or would like colleague/team communication to be more inclusive, please contact your line manager. Alternatively, you can contact Occupational Health confidentially.
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