I was on the board of directors of the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing a number of years ago. I wanted to do community service work, and I thought this was a perfect fit because my dad has been hard of hearing since birth. But even after four years of talking and debating with deaf people, I still feel a level of uncertainty when I’m alone with a deaf person and have no translator. Strangely, I always feel the deaf person is responsible for putting me at ease. If he or she doesn’t, I don't seem to know what to do.

I learned so much during those years and yet one great lesson came from understanding why deaf people want to continue to communicate in their own language, instead of trying to fit into the hearing world. When deaf people communicate with one another, they experience much more comfort. The same holds true for hearing people.

Despite all the progress of integration within Canada, the majority of people still befriend, marry and partner with people who look and act like they do. We can think of many examples where that is not true, but more times than not, we are around those who are like us. Discomfort will not always be the reason, but when it is, how does that relate to the workplace and should it be a cause for concern?

If your discomfort gets in the way of hiring good people, then that’s bad for business – whether in the profit, non-profit or public sector. You not only want good people, but you want your employees to reflect your community as much as possible. Here are some examples where discomfort might get in the way of hiring good people.

It’s not uncommon for English speakers to think that people who don't speak English as a first language are not as smart. A part of us knows it’s ridiculous, but how many people do we pass over before we face this inner prejudice?

All of us have strange notions related to language. Have you ever caught yourself raising your voice when speaking to someone who has trouble with English? If you feel forced to say, “Could you repeat that” too many times, do you avoid that person in an attempt to limit episodes of embarrassing communication attempts?

Differences in culture can lead to the same sort of discomfort. We become afraid to make comments or ask certain questions for fear of embarrassing another person or ourselves. Instead of asking questions or taking the risk of offending, we take the easy way out by surrounding ourselves with people much like us. That way, there’s no risk and everyone feels comfortable.

This is not a phenomenon restricted to English-speaking White people of European descent. It’s second nature to most humans. In September 2003, Statistics Canada released the results of a study that tracked the destination patterns of new immigrants to Canada.

In the three largest metropolitan areas – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – 44% of highly skilled immigrants indicated they chose their city on the basis of being close to family and friends. Only 19% chose their destination according to job prospects. I believe this indicates that living in our comfort zone and having support is more important than pursuing career ambitions.

It can be uncomfortable for the able-bodied to interact with people who have physical or mental disabilities. We don't know how to act. Don’t believe that? Talk to a person in a wheelchair; any can tell you of bizarre behaviours they’ve observed from able-bodied people. One of the most common is when they are chatting with an able-bodied person, and a third person joins the conversation. If the third person is able-bodied, often the dialogue will only be carried on with the other able-bodied person, sometimes even referring to the person in the wheelchair as if he or she isn’t there.

Why are we so hung up on having only comfortable communication? I don’t know, but when Helen Keller was asked which was more difficult, being deaf or being blind, she replied: “Blindness cuts a person off from things, but deafness cuts a person off from people.”

Employers need to ensure that merely feeling uncomfortable isn’t an excuse for inadvertently cutting people off from otherwise stellar workers. At the least, it may encourage a valuable employee to leave your employ and seek another.

When it comes to discomfort due to language, culture or disabilities, try to deal with it. It’s better to risk discomfort by asking a person to repeat something you don’t understand. Likewise, if you're not certain what to say or do around people with disabilities, feel free to ask questions. If you ask in a respectful manner, most people will be happy to help you out; it's usually not their first time.

Stephen

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Stephen Hammond, B.A, LL.B, CSP, is a speaker, trainer and author working in the field of workplace human rights. Articles, tips and his books Managing Human Rights At Work: 101 Practical Tips to Prevent Human Rights Disasters and Steps in the Rights Direction: 365 human rights celebrations and tragedies that inspired Canada and the world are available on his website www.stephenhammond.ca. Contact Stephen at 866-685-8338 or stephen@stephenhammond.ca