Hearing impairment, work, and vocational enablement.

Within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF; WHO), participation in work is acknowledged as one of the major areas in life (D8). Difficulties that make it impossible for the person to optimally partake in work result in participation restriction. An increasing number of people with hearing loss are seeking help for occupational problems. Various studies identified issues that should be addressed in the management of employees with hearing loss and emphasized the importance of a tailored vocational enablement program. This paper describes a recently developed vocational enablement protocol (VEP) addressing the specific needs of those with hearing loss in the workforce. It is characterized by an integrated approach (occupational physician, otolaryngologist, audiologist, social worker/psychologist, speech-language pathologist). The goal is to facilitate participation in, and retention of, work. The protocol is currently implemented in a few audiological centers in the Netherlands. This paper presents data collected at the audiological center of the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam. Thus far, 86 patients, aged 19 to 64 years (mean 48, SD 23), have completed the protocol. Experiences with the procedure are described, and recommendations for future practice and research are discussed.