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.
During Deaf Awareness Week, organised by the UK Council on Deafness, we’ve been raising awareness, suggesting simple ways to ensure inclusive communication, and shared Jacqui’s hearing impairment story.
The art of great communication in a hybrid working world
Deaf Awareness Week shines a light on how we can ensure more inclusive communication. Simple techniques developed to enhance communication for those with hearing impairments also enables better communication for everyone, something that is crucial in the virtual world we have found ourselves in. For example:
Providing pre-reads ahead of a meeting supports more focused and time-efficient meetings and optimises high quality input from the reflectors amongst us.
Enabling sub-titles on a Zoom call assists anyone experiencing background noise in their home environment.
Talking at a steady pace helps people to better process your thoughts (and allegedly also makes you seem more intelligent!).
Remember these three simple steps to make a difference…
- Face the person you’re talking to and, when not wearing a 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.
As we start to think about the new world of hybrid working, let’s take an inclusive approach to communication, listening to the experiences of our deaf colleagues and those with hearing impairments to enable us all to communicate effectively. 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.
Would you like to be part of a disability awareness employee-led network?
As we move into the new world of hybrid working in a really inclusive way, we’re working closely with colleagues and would particularly welcome members to join our newly created employee-led network for colleagues with disabilities and health conditions.
Anyone can be part of a network and give a voice to a group you would like to represent. Networks are started by employees for employees. You will have a budget to ensure you can do meaningful work and you will receive support from Karen Price, our Inclusion and Engagement Manager, to help get you started. Find out more about employee-led networks here and contact Karen via email if you’re interested in getting involved with disability awareness.