Introduction

The strategies for communication with HOH (hard-of-hearing) persons and with profoundly/totally deaf persons are different. This document covers both.

Communicating with the hard-of-hearing

                SHHH (SELF HELP FOR THE HARD OF HEARING)
             HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE

1. POSITIONING:
   1. Be sure the light, whether natural or artificial, falls on your face. (Don't stand with the sun to your back or in front of a window. Even at night, room lights will reflect in the window pane, causing glare for the lip reader.)
   2. If you are aware that the hard of hearing person has a better ear, stand or sit on that side.
   3. Avoid background noise to the extent possible.
2. METHOD:
   1. *** GET THE PERSON'S ATTENTION BEFORE YOU START TALKING. You may have to touch the person lightly to attract attention. Face him directly while speaking.
   2. Speak as clearly as possible in a natural way and at a moderate pace. DON'T SHOUT. Shouting often results in distortion of speech and it displays a negative visual signal to your listener. Don't drop your voice at the end of the sentence.
   3. *** IF THE PERSON DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID, REPHRASE IT.
   4. When changing the subject, indicate the new subject with a word or two or a phrase. You may ask the person if he understood - then proceed with topic clues and perhaps gestures if the subject being discussed is visible and within range of sight.
3. PHYSICAL:
   1. *** DO NOT OBSCURE YOUR MOUTH WITH YOUR HANDS. Do not chew and do not smoke while talking.
   2. Facial expressions are important clues to the hard of hearing person. Feelings are more often expressed by non-verbal communication than through words.
4. ATTITUDE:
   1. *** DO NOT BECOME IMPATIENT.
   2. *** STAY POSITIVE AND RELAXED.
   3. Never talk about a hard of hearing person in his presence. Talk to them not about them.
   4. Treat hard of hearing people with respect and help build their confidence.
   5. Ask what you can do to facilitate communication.

This list was devised by a national organization for the hard of hearing, SHHH (SELF HELP FOR THE HARD OF HEARING), 7800 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda MD 20814.

Communicating with the profoundly/totally deaf

Be aware that deaf people are not created or educated the same. Each deaf person has his/her own preferred method of communication with hearing persons. The preferred method may also change from situation to situation (e.g. lipreading is preferred for communication with some persons but not with others).

You may expect that the deaf person will choose one (or more) of the following methods:

• Lipreading (known also as speechreading)
• Sign Language
• Fingerspelling
• SimCom (Simultaneous Communication)
• Cued Speech
• Writing
• Typing

If you are an hearing person and you have to communicate with a deaf person, the following tips may help you.

• If an interpreter (Sign Language or oral) is available and the deaf person prefers interpreted communication, go for it.

The following tips are for the case in which no interpreter is available.

1. If both persons are fluent in sign language - use it.
2. The hearie must have patience for the slower pace of communication (which will be slower no matter what means you are using).
3. Lots of paper and pens/pencils are very much in order.
4. If both sides of a conversation are quick touch typists, they can sit at a typewriter and take turns typing (notice that nowadays, 'typewriter' actually means a PC with word processor or text editor).
5. Sometimes the deaf person lipreading ability is adequate for the circumstances, and in that case the hearie needs only to speak a bit slower and open his lips somewhat wider.

When should you be aware of the possibility that someone is deaf?

Under the following circumstances, hearing people may not be aware of the possibility that a person is deaf, and that person is unable to communicate this fact.

1. Policeman or soldier shouts "FREEZE!" at the back of the deaf person.
2. Doctors and nurses in Emergency section of hospital and the unconscious patient is deaf.