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GETTING A DEAF PERSON’S ATTENTION
- Move into the person’s visual field
- Gently tap on the person’s shoulder
- Flick lights at slow/medium pace **doing so at fast pace may indicate
an emergency
- Ask the individual other methods of obtaining attention that he
or she prefers
WHAT ABOUT LIPREADING?
- Many deaf/hard of hearing people do not lipread well. Be sure to
ask the person if he or she is comfortable communicating in this manner.
Sometimes other methods of communication are more appropriate.
- About 70% of English is difficult or impossible to lipread; be ready
to substitute other words.
- Individuals with facial hair are more difficult to lipread than
those without.
- Be sure to eliminate food or gum from the mouth.
- Do not place hands or other objects near your face.
COMFORTABLE COMMUNICATION
- Don’t yell or talk loudly.
- If the person prefers to use lipreading,
**SPEAK NORMALLY: avoid
speaking too slow or too fast.
- Face the person and make eye contact when speaking.
- Utilize written communication.
- Use pictures and other visual aids.
- Take advantage of technology:
Typing back and forth on a computer screen,
using email, instant messenger or text messaging are other
ways to communicate effectively.
INTERPRETERS
- When using an interpreter, talk directly to the intern or employee,
not to the interpreter.
- The role of the interpreter is to covey what is being spoken or
signed; not to participate in the conversation or to give his/her own
opinions.
- An interpreter can only interpret for one person at a time.
- The interpreter should be located close to the speaker. This allows
the deaf individual to see both the speaker and the interpreter easily.
- If possible, provide interpreters with copies of agendas, names,
scripts of presentations which will prepare them for the meeting.
GROUP COMMUNICATION
- Before meetings or presentations, provide the intern or employee
with an agenda. This will make it easier for her or she to understand
and follow the event.
- A notetaker, visual aids and follow up correspondence can allow
greater accessibility to information.
- Arrange seating so individuals can see each other clearly. Upon
speaking, raise your hand to signify your turn to talk.
The information above is also available as an MS
Word document
or PDF
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