Managers’ perspectives on accommodating deaf individuals within the automotive manufacturing industry

Abstract

Deaf people seem to be perceived as having limited employment possibilities in industry. As the motor manufacturing working environment is perceived as having safety and productivity risks for the employment of deaf people, this study’s objective was to investigate managers’ perceptions in such an environment of employing deaf people. A qualitative study was conducted. Data was obtained through individual semi-structured interviews with 15 managers of the manufacturing department of a motor manufacturing company. The results indicated that deaf individuals could be accommodated in manufacturing. However, communication and safety issues posed the greatest challenges when employing deaf individuals. Employment depends on the implementation of certain changes to the manufacturing environment, creating a safer environment for deaf employees. Automotive manufacturing environments consist of various sections and positions in which deaf people could work safely and productively. The study also contributed to changing misconceptions about employing deaf people in a manufacturing environment.