Deaf people are a vital part of the team (Part Two)

We recently had the opportunity to visit Mikomax in Łódź, Poland to learn about their inclusive environments for Deaf workers. Mikomax is the founding entity and manufacturing arm of Hushoffice, one of the newest members of the Haworth family of brands.

The Deaf community at Mikomax speaks Polish Sign Language (PJM). (For more information on sign language – including whether one ‘speaks’ or ‘signs’ or ‘uses’ sign language – check out our Sign Language FAQ.)

If you haven’t read Part I, check that out here. We experienced a day in the life at Mikomax, where inclusivity is simply part of regular daily culture. We visited with Deaf workers on the assembly line and spoke with team managers and the director of the factory.

Here in Part II, we’ll speak with the HR director and a member of Mikomax board of directors. Today we want to learn how companies can take concrete steps toward creating an inclusive environment for Deaf team members.

Inclusivity begins with leadership

Inclusivity efforts depend on support from every level of an organisation. Maciej Mikołajczyk is a member of the board of Mikomax; his connection with the Deaf community runs all the way back to his first days in the organisation.

‘The company was founded by my parents in 1991, and practically two or three years later, the first Deaf people appeared in the company,’ Maciej tells us. ‘In the years 1993, 1994, 1995, other employees joined. Currently, we have 34 hard of hearing employees.’

We ask Maciej for his thoughts on the concept of Deaf Gain, a concept that reframes deafness not as being ‘a lack, as missing a sense’ but rather as a ‘form of cognitive and sensory diversity’ that brings rich benefits to society. Maciej fully agrees; for him, the evidence is first hand.

‘For me, Deaf people were my first teachers in the company,’ he says. ‘I joined Mikomax in 1999 and my first job was assembling containers. It was there that I worked with Deaf people, and they were the ones who introduced me to the job at that position.’

Maciej knows the importance of enabling communication. When teams are composed of people who speak different languages, streamlining communication is paramount. The company carefully crafts communication so that it is accessible to all.

‘People with hearing impairments require us to be more sensitive, especially when it comes to communication,’ Maciej tells us. ‘In our company, we have many people who communicate in sign language. When creating communication for Deaf people, we also use a slightly different vocabulary so that it is understandable for them.’

At Mikomax, engaging the Deaf community extends beyond the walls of the factory or showrooms. The company’s inclusivity efforts have naturally led members to become ambassadors to others.

‘Deaf people help students of vocational schools for the Deaf,’ Maciej says. ‘We organise visits to the factory for them. We show how Deaf people can find themselves in a plant like ours; in this way, we also give them an idea in which direction they can develop their skills.’

What does the future hold? Maciej believes that the Deaf community at Mikomax will continue to grow.

‘Our company is constantly growing, including in terms of employment,’ Maciej says. ‘The same is true for Deaf people. I also think that the current trend will continue.’  

Building inclusive communities requires intention and effort

Paulina Wieczorkiewicz leads the HR team at Mikomax. She fondly recalls meeting the Deaf workers when she first joined.

‘My first impression was very positive,’ she says. ‘What I saw was that Deaf people have been and are part of this society from the beginning. In fact, I didn't notice any difference between hearing and Deaf people in how they function in the Mikomax team.’

As part of intentionally building a supportive environment for Deaf people within Mikomax, the HR team organises sign language courses for hearing people. As the students’ language skills grow, communication barriers fall – and this has a noticeable impact on the company.

‘The teams have become so much stronger thanks to this,’ Paulina says. ‘Their relationships have taken on new meaning.’

Inclusivity efforts inherently expand. Working to include one group will bring lessons on how to include others; improving communication for one relationship network will tend to improve communication in others.

‘I believe that the fact that we have Deaf people in our team makes us more sensitive to all kinds of disabilities,’ Paulina tells us. ‘I think that we as a HushOffice team create an environment where there are no examples of discrimination, nor any exclusions. We have no reason to exclude. It would be great if the whole society perceived Deaf people in the same way as Mikomax employees do, where Deaf people are "just" part of us.’

Mikomax has experienced the beauty of an inclusive community. Now, the team hopes that inclusivity efforts will spread. Paulina – along with the entire Haworth family – hopes that stories of inclusion like this one will become seeds planted throughout society.

‘I hope that the world will hear the information that disability is not something that excludes,’ Paulina says. ‘Socially, it is something that should strengthen your position, build your strengths. The people who create Mikomax and Hushoffice are a really talented team and they are a perfect example of how we can build the position of people with disabilities in society.’

Takeaways for implementing inclusive programs

Mikomax’s inclusivity efforts can serve as an inspiration – and a starting point – for other companies looking to hire Deaf workers. Here are some of our main takeaways:

1.     Support from leadership. On Mikomax’s management board, Maciej is fully supportive and deeply immersed in the effort to include Deaf workers.

2.     Engagement at all levels. From the head of HR to the head of the factory to the production managers to the individual manufacturing lines, Mikomax members are committed to making the work environment more inclusive.

3.     Investment in sign language training. Mikomax walks what it preaches. Sign language courses are offered to all members who work with Deaf colleagues. They are hoping to expand these courses to all members.

4.     Investment in translation technology. For people who cannot speak sign language – or even for workers who speak other sign languages, such as the members from Ukraine – Mikomax invests in technology to enable communication. Visual communication such as posters and information boards are also used extensively.

5.     Community engagement. Mikomax workers interact with local vocational schools for the Deaf.

Efforts of inclusion expand the human story

This world is full of stories. There are as many stories as there are people on this earth. In countless languages, those stories are told – some with spoken words that vibrate in the air; some with signs, drawn with moving hands; and some in other ways altogether.

Every human story is important, though some are heard less frequently than others. Efforts of inclusion change that. Inclusion brings every human story into the fold – our own stories, the stories of our loved ones, the stories of our friends. There is no effort of inclusion too small to matter; there is no inclusive idea too big to dream. We hope stories like this one offer you encouragement and inspiration as you embark on your own inclusive journey.

Until next time: