The most likely cause of Sheila's feelings of isolation is that she may be experiencing a lack of trust between her and her co-workers; because communication is key to getting along in the workplace, it can be hard for people to trust someone that they have a hard time communicating with. Communication barriers can create misunderstandings and hinder relationship-building, leading to feelings of isolation for someone who is Deaf in a predominantly hearing environment. Despite Sheila's professional skills, the inability to easily communicate can affect social interactions and teamwork, contributing to her feelings of isolation.
Sheila is Deaf and works in a dental office as a dental hygienist. She cleans teeth and performs other routine checkups. There are three other employees who work in the dental office with her. Lately, she has been feeling isolated from her other co-workers, who all have full hearing capabilities. What is most likely the cause of the isolation she is feeling?
As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers and other hearing employees are prohibited from inviting employees with disabilities to all meetings so that they are able to have more time to focus on their work.
Sheila may be experiencing a lack of trust between her and her co-workers; because communication is key to getting along in the workplace, it can be hard for people to trust someone that they have a hard time communicating with.
Because Sheila was likely educated during the period of time when oralism was in style, she may feel a lack of understanding from her hearing co-workers who may not understand what it was like to be forbidden to learn sign language in school.
Often, Deaf employees are encouraged to participate in support groups and networking events with other Deaf professionals, but Sheila has not plugged into that part of her community yet.
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