Current situation and challenge of work on health and medical professionals with deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Abstract

The regulations for health and medical professional qualifications have changed relative to those in 2001. This study (2010) compared the current working situation of 56 deaf and hard-of-hearing health and medical professionals with the study in 2002, by analysis of the differences of the working environment. The study revealed a major increase of job opportunities and the type of work available in health and medical professions. Among those who were working in the medical institutions, only 57.9% of them had a hearing level above 80dBHL. Thus, the effect of hearing ability on job opportunities was not significant. The ratio of experienced career change by hearing disability turnover was not improved compared to the past study. Also limitation of the working environment in incorporating the concept of “reasonable accommodation” to the deaf and hard-of-hearing people was understood, and the deaf and hard-of-hearing support system is apparently immature. In comparing and referring to the existing examples in other countries, we also discussed about the building of a possible support system in the job aid structure.