Business and Administrative Communication 10th Edition by Kitty Locker,Donna Kienzler

Exercise 31

Accommodating a Hearing-Impaired Employee
You're manager of Human Resources at your company.
Two weeks ago, you got this e-mail message:
Subject: Accommodations for Employee
Our work team includes a hearing-impaired employee. She is our most productive team member on the floor, but at team meetings, she can't effectively contribute. I e-mailed her about my concerns, and she says the conversations are too hard to follow. What can we do so she can contribute her ideas
One of your staffers has researched the issue for you and brought you several recommendations. Based on the staffer's research, you have determined that you will contract with a sign language interpreter to be present at the regular staff meetings. You will also have your staffer meet with the work team to share some basic guidelines for communicating, such as looking directly at the deaf team member when speaking, speaking slowly, using facial expressions when possible, and avoiding any statements not intended for the interpreter to translate (the interpreter will translate anything spoken during the meeting). These plans are part of your existing policy of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Write an e-mail message to the affected employees, telling them about the new practices for your employee.