Communication Advice & Tips

Communicating with deaf or hard of hearing people is something that many people may avoid because they are embarrassed or intimidated. Check out the following tips and communication will be a lot easier.

If you want to communicate with a deaf person
> Ensure you have the attention of the person before talking.
> Speak clearly and use normal lip movements, facial expressions and gestures.~
> Speak at a normal level. Too quiet will be difficult for the deaf person to hear (if they wear hearing aids) and too loud can be embarrassing as it will draw attention to you both.
> Ensure the environment is suitable with good lighting and low background noise.
> Look at the deaf person and ensure nothing is blocking your mouth so they can lipread you.
> Avoid long words which are not necessary.
> Be precise and don’t waffle.

If you are a deaf person
> Consider taking lipreading classes to improve your natural ability to lipread.
> Consider learning British Sign Language, as a sign language interpreter can normally be booked for meetings and events so you understand everything that is said.
> Don’t be afraid to ask people to clarify and repeat what they have said if you miss something.
> Position yourself so you are able to view the face of the person that is talking, it will help if you can see their lip movements and facial expressions.
> If you have one ear that is better than the other, position that ear closer to the speaker.
> Try not to panic, getting flustered will not help the situation.

If you have any tips of your own, let us know by emailing admin@mydeafcommunity.co.uk.