Workplace Accommodations: What Your Employer Must Provide

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with hearing loss. Here's what you need to know.

What Counts as Reasonable

Common accommodations include captioned phones, written instructions instead of verbal ones, quiet workspaces, and assistive listening devices for meetings. Employers must provide these unless they cause "undue hardship."

How to Request

You don't need to use specific words. Simply let your employer know you need a change because of your hearing loss. Put your request in writing and keep a copy.

If You're Denied

Your employer must engage in an "interactive process" to find solutions. If they refuse outright, you may have a discrimination claim. Contact the EEOC or a disability rights organization for help.