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| How to Communicate with a Deaf Person | |
Communicating with a deaf person is easier than you think! There are a few basic things you should remember: |
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Get the person's attention before speaking. Touching them on the shoulder, waving your hand in their field of vision, flashing the lights or stamping on the floor are acceptable ways of doing this - if they're not looking at you then they're not listening to you. |
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Ask how they would prefer to communicate. Lip-reading, body movements, gesturing, signing, with an interpreter, writing, other modes or a combination of methods. |
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Position yourself. Stand slightly further away than normal speaking distance and be at the same eye level (if possible) so all gestures can be seen in the visual field. (NOTE: if the person is hard of hearing rather than deaf, position yourself at a normal speaking distance). |
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Look at the person. People with hearing loss rely heavily on their eyes to receive information; therefore, maintaining eye contact is essential. Take off your sunglasses if you are wearing them so your eyes can be clearly seen. |
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Use facial expressions to contribute to your message. If you are asking a question or giving a warning about a potentially dangerous situation, be sure to use appropriate facial expressions. |
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Use paper and pen. If something is particularly important, may be unfamiliar to the person or if writing is the other person's preferred method of communication, write the message down in clear and simple terms, avoiding messages with double meanings. |
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Use visual cues to make your communication more effective. e.g. Point to the item on the trolley or hold up a blanket to show what you are talking about. |
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Clarify. If need be, check you've been understood and if not, try rephrasing or communicating in a different way. Do not repeat the same thing over and over again. |
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Use simple gestures. "Drink" for example can be communicated by showing the action of drinking. |
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Speak naturally. Speak clearly, normally and at a normal rate. Do not chew, eat or cover your mouth or face while talking. Avoid shouting or exaggerating lip movements. (NOTE: you can speak slightly louder than normal for the benefit of people who are hard of hearing). Do not speak directly into the person's ear. |
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Environment. Stand in a position where you are in good lighting (without lights or glare shining into the other person's eyes), preferably with a plainer background behind you. If talking with someone who is hard of hearing, try to reduce background noise by moving, shutting doors or turning off background music. |
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Never be patronising. Remember, our attitude can be the greatest challenge for a person who is deaf or hard of hearing. |
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For complex discussions you may need to book an interpreter. For more information click here. To find out the differences between Deaf and hard of hearing (hearing impaired), click here. Shhh Australia (a leading organisation in NSW for people who are hard of hearing) has an Information Sheet about improving communication with people who are hard of hearing. To see this Information Sheet, click here. If you are interested in learning sign language you can attend courses. For more information, click here |
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More information about communicating with deaf people |
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