Top 10 Jobs For People with Hearing Impairments
Living with a hearing impairment is difficult, but imagine how hard it is to find work. More than 5% of the world's population suffers from hearing loss. This equates to 432 million adults and 32 million children.
Some of these impairments occur naturally from birth and old age. And others from work-related hearing loss. For instance, in the manufacturing industry, hearing loss is the most common occupational illness among workers.
About 80% of employees working in manufacturing have noise-related hearing loss.
But whatever the cause, finding jobs for people with hearing impairments can be cumbersome. In this article, we'll cover the top 10 jobs you can do while deaf or hearing impaired.
Let's get to it.
1. Teacher for Students with Special Needs
As an individual with special needs, you know better than anyone how to relate to children with impairments. This is true even if you have a hearing impairment. You can get training to interact with other students with hearing problems.
You can teach them various subjects and improve their sign language skills to communicate more effectively. You'll need to acquire a bachelor's degree and teaching license in order to pursue this career.
2. Professional Sign Language Interpreter & Translator
Here's another great career field to break into if you're hard of hearing or deaf. You can use your knowledge of American sign language to interpret what's being said to deaf audiences.
Then if you can learn sign language in other languages, then you can increase your demand in the industry. In order to break into this career field, you'll need a certificate from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).
The salaries vary but can be as much as $60,000 annually, depending on the industry, your experience, and where you live.
3. Medical Lab Technician
There's something for everyone in the health industry, even for the hearing impaired. In this case, it's a good idea to seek a career as either a medical technologist or technician. You'll need to get a bachelor's degree if you want to be a clinical technologist.
However, you only need a certificate or associate's degree to become a clinical lab technician. It's also required in most areas to obtain a license. In this position, you're responsible for analyzing samples (i.e. bodily fluids) using scientific equipment.
4. Data Entry Clerk
Some companies have a backlog of data they need organized and entered into new software platforms. If you're able to type fast and with high accuracy, you can get hired with no prior experience or education.
Just be sure you're able to sit for long periods of time. An ergonomic set up is recommended so you can avoid neck, back, and wrist pain.
5. Web Designer & Developer
Businesses large and small need custom websites built for their company. Learning how to program and design is a great idea if you're looking to use both the right and left sides of your brain.
It's a great mix of logic and art. Plus, this industry is lucrative due to more brands learning the importance of being on the web. All you need is a portfolio of website designs to get hired - no experience needed.
You can build these on your own before you even get your first client.
6. Writer & Author
Writing is big business, especially for businesses looking to grow their online presence. Once their website is built, they need quality content for each page and regular content published on their blog.
If you want to break into online writing, it's a good idea to take a few courses on digital marketing. You can find work writing for Business-to-Business (B2B) or Business-to-Consumer (B2C) brands.
On the other hand, you can also start your own blog and monetize it with ads or your own products (ebook, guides, etc.).
7. Accountant & Auditor
Are you great with numbers? If so, you can begin crunching them for businesses in a rewarding career in accounting. This will place you in charge of their financial books, keeping track of their income and expenses.
Another option is to be an auditor, which requires great attention to detail as well. In this position, you go over the books the company's accountant manages to ensure accuracy.
8. Social Worker
Being hearing impaired doesn't mean you can't handle a job dealing with people. In the line of social work, you're meeting people who need state services. You'll likely be in charge of communicating with deaf clients.
In order to qualify to work in this position, you must obtain a bachelor's degree.
9. Language Pathologist
Helping others to communicate can be a deeply rewarding experience. And as a language pathologist, you'll get to do that on a daily basis. In this line of work, you're helping children and adults adapt to their cochlear implants (or similar products).
You'll need to take a program that's accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Council on Academic Accreditation.
10. Audiologist
Here's a field with great job security. Audiologists will always be in demand and may even increase due to new newborn hearing screening laws going into effect. In this field, you'll study hearing, balance, and similar disorders.
In a nutshell, your role is to treat and prevent hearing loss. You'll need to acquire a postgraduate degree in order to start work. There's an audiology degree that takes four years to complete. But in order to get it, you first have to obtain a bachelor's degree (in any field).