Hearing
The following guidance has been provided to the University from our partnership work on the sensory 'Just Ask Project' with Fife Disabilities and Deaf Action Fife.
Hearing loss communication hints and tips
- Gain the person’s attention before you start speaking.
- Keep your face at the same level for lip reading purposes.
- Try to establish a person’s preferred method of communication whenever possible (may require initiative and tact!).
- If a hearing person is with the deaf person, don’t just concentrate on the hearing person. The deaf person will feel excluded.
- For situations where important information is to be exchanged or conveyed, a deaf person will often choose a Human Aid to Communication (for example, a Sign Language Interpreter or a Lipspeaker).
- Cut out as much background noise as possible.
- Make sure the subject matter is understood before you continue.
- Use finger spelling usefully - to emphasise the first letter of name.
- Write down necessary dialogue such as instructions and directions.
- For less important everyday situations you may need or wish to communicate directly with a deaf person.