Hearing Loss in the Workplace

Hearing Loss in the Workplace

Saturday, April 27th, 2024

ABOUT US

Why Use Our Products and Services?

Why should you choose SNA? That's easy – we are one of the foremost authorities in resolving issues and problems caused by hearing loss in the workplace. We are not audiologists or ENT doctors or hearing aid dispensers, or special education teachers, or language pathologists.

We are private sector, fee-for-service systems analysts who understand the "big picture". The technological and non-technological methods we use will result in full service to your present clients and attract new ones. Your employees with hearing loss will feel like part of the team again and employees without a hearing loss will be comfortable when communicating with co-workers or clients who do.

Legislative Requirements

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as federal, provincial and territorial human rights legislation prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities.

Of particular note for organizations in the Province of Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005), which was passed unanimously in the Legislature, will mean that any and all purveyors of goods and services in the province will have to be fully accessible to persons with disabilities by the year 2025. There are phase-in periods depending on the type of industry, with all provincial government ministries having to comply with the AODA by 2010.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission considers accommodation to be appropriate if it results in an

"equal opportunity to achieve the same level of performance, or to enjoy the same level of benefits and privileges experienced by others or if it is proposed or adopted for the purpose of achieving equal opportunity, and meets the needs the individual's disability-related needs."

It's Good Business!

A Conference Board of Canada report prepared for the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario in October 2007, cited data from a Royal Bank of Canada study done in 2000, which estimated the purchasing power of persons with disabilities to be an average of $25 billion per annum.

In the United Kingdom, it was estimated in 2007 that there were 10 million persons (approximately 1 in 6) with disabilities with a disposable income of £80 billion or $146 billion. According to the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, 1 in 7 Ontarians or 15.5% has a disability. Many of them are "baby boomers" who do have disposable income and who want to continue to enjoy the same level of service and accessibility they have always had.

SNA can help your organization be compliant with the law and maximize your business potential. Don't settle for partial solutions which are ultimately more expensive. Do it right! Let us show you how.