Deafblind and Deaf Awareness Training Video

Deafblind and Deaf Awareness Training Video

I’m going to outline information to assist you with effective communication strategies when working with people who are Deaf, Deafblind or hard of hearing

1 in 6 Australians have some form of hearing loss.

Deaf people who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) often see themselves as members of a community that shares the same culture and language, similar to those who are part of foreign language communities. Deaf people who use sign language do not always view themselves as disabled, or having a hearing problem that should be fixed.

Generally, acceptable terms for people who have a hearing loss include “Deaf” or “hard of hearing”.

If you are unsure which term to use, it’s a good idea to ask, as each person will have their own preferred term. For many using the term “Deaf” is not considered rude or inappropriate. Some people who have a hearing loss may take offence to the term “hearing impaired”.

People who are Deaf or hard of hearing have different life experiences. Deaf people who are raised in a Deaf family, often use sign language to communicate; English may be acquired later. This means they have had access to language other than English at home via sign language.

People who are Deaf and raised in a non-deaf family, may not be exposed to sign language and will sometimes use gestures, and may rely mainly on oral methods to communicate with others. Auslan may not be acquired until attending school, or if they begin mixing with the signing Deaf community later in life.

People who acquire a hearing loss later in life will often continue to use spoken language with the assistance of technological supports like hearing aids or cochlear implants. They may also be involved with the signing Deaf community.

Deaf people each have different levels of hearing loss; this is one factor that contributes to how they may communicate.

A hearing loss in the range of 21 – 46 dB – equates to a mild hearing loss, this hearing loss presents difficulties hearing soft speech and voices may sound muffled.

A hearing loss in the range of 46 – 60 dB – is considered a moderate hearing loss, posing difficulties with conversational speech, the radio and TV may need to be louder than usual and hearing aids may provide assistance.

A hearing loss in the range of 61 – 75 dB is termed a moderate severe hearing loss, this is where voices may sound distorted, only raised voices can be heard without hearing aids, people who have this range of hearing loss may not be able to produce clear speech, using visual cues such as gestures may be advantageous when communicating. Hearing aids may assist deaf people who have this level of hearing loss.

A hearing loss in the range of 76 – 90 dB is considered a severe hearing loss. Spoken conversations, generally cannot be heard, speech and verbal language do not develop spontaneously and their speech quality may be affected, some will benefit with the assistance of hearing aids.

A hearing loss in the range of 91+ dB is considered a profound hearing loss. People in this range generally may find limited or no help from hearing aids. Learning to use speech may be difficult, sign language may be acquired and sometimes people in this range may be fitted with a cochlear implant.

Auslan is the term used to refer to Australian Sign Language. In Australia there are approximately 10,000 people who use Auslan as their primary means of communication. Auslan has been recognised by the Australian government as a community language other than English and the preferred language of the Deaf Community in Australia.

Auslan is a language in its own right, consisting of specific grammatical and linguistic structures. Auslan is a language that is different to English. Each country has their own sign language just as there are numerous spoken languages used throughout the world.

Deaf and hard of hearing people communicate in a variety of ways, Some use Sign Language (Auslan in Australia) or speech only, or a combination of both. Other ways to communicate include writing with pen and paper and the use of gestures, pointing, body language and facial expression. You may use a number of approaches to ensure communication is effective, try to find out what combination of methods works best.

It is a good idea to speak at your normal rate, rather than slowing down too much or shouting. Short sentences may be easier to understand than long sentences. Don’t assume that all Deaf or hard of hearing people can lip-read. Some Deaf or hard of hearing people don’t lip-read at all. If the person you are communicating with someone who can lip-read, make sure they can see your face. If you turn away, it may be assumed that you have finished the conversation. Remember to apply different strategies such as gesturing, pointing or written communication techniques.

Lip-reading is a difficult skill as many words look the same on the lips, for example the words “go” and “no” look almost identical on the lips.

Avoid talking while writing, or looking at a screen or doing other tasks as your face is not easily seen and can hamper the communication. Avoid standing in front of a light source, as the glare or shadows may make it difficult to see your face clearly. Cue the person you are talking to into the topic of the conversation. Provide a keyword. Sudden changes in topic and going off on tangents make lip-reading difficult. If you think you are not being understood, repeat, or rephrase what you want to say.

Use open ended questions that cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no” response. Do not assume that a Deaf or hard of hearing person has understood your message if they simply nod their head in response. If necessary, touch the person to get their attention. You can do this by tapping lightly on the shoulder or arm, or you can wave your hand in their line of sight. It’s not appropriate to poke, slap, grab, or physically move them to face you. If they are some distance away, waving or switching a light source on and off will attract their attention. Gestures, body language, facial expression and pointing are helpful visual cues. Pen and paper can work or even try typing messages on your phone. Be mindful that not all Deaf and hard of hearing people are fluent in English, as Auslan may be their primary language so simple words and phrases are best.

When communicating with Deafblind people, a variety of strategies need to be considered, this is because the needs of people who are Deafblind vary considerably. Some Deafblind people have no hearing and are completely blind, whereas others may have varying degrees of sight or hearing loss. In an emergency situation, it is important that the communication is relayed to those who are deafblind. For people who are Deafblind and use Auslan to communicate, there are a number of ways to convey information. These include “Visual Range Signing” some people who are deafblind have limited range of sight, so adjustments to sign size may be needed so that the signing is kept within the range of the Deafblind person’s field of vision. Another strategy is “Tracking” – this is used for people who have deteriorating vision, they will place their palms over the wrist of the person signing to them so they can track where to look to see the signs as well as feeling the force behind these signs that convey additional information. Some people who are Deafblind need their communication partner to stand close with their hands at eye level to see the signs clearly this is called “Close Range Signing”. For people who are completely Deafblind, “Tactile Signing” is used. The Deafblind person will put their hands on top of hands of the person signing to them to feel the signs obtaining information completely via touch. Some Deafblind people use a system of tactile fingerspelling, feeling English letters/symbols on the hand as a communication tool, this is termed “tactile fingerspelling”

Another way that Deafblind people can receive information is a strategy termed “Haptics” Haptics is a way of giving a person with Deafblindness information, such as the layout of the room, facial expressions of people in a group, or that someone has entered or is leaving the room. Haptics is delivered by touching/drawing/tapping with your finger/s on the back or arms to indicate different pieces of information – for example drawing the layout of the room on the Deafblind person’s back to include where the doors, people and various items are situated in that space.This helps the deafblind person become acquainted with information about their environment. Additional information such as conveying that someone is smiling can be done by drawing on the deafblind person’s arm a “smiley face”, or if someone is nodding, tapping with a closed fist on the arm of the Deafblind person can indicate this additional visual information. Another way that Haptics can be used is in times of emergency. It is becoming a convention that drawing a cross “X” on the back of a Deafblind person indicates an emergency situation, and that no communication is possible until transported to a safe place.

Some Deafblind people prefer to receive information via print. Always ask their preferred font size, usually it is Arial, bold, either size 16 or 18. If the preferred method is reading print and you are writing to each other, use a thick texta and gauge from the writing of the Deafblind person what size is necessary for them to be able to read the text.

In the event of an emergency, ensure that Deafblind people are safe, calm and aware of what is happening. In the event where there is no support worker or interpreter, simply sitting down with the deafblind person, holding their hand, and communicating by writing English letters in their palm may be the best way to manage the situation.

I’ve outlined various ways to communicate with Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing and people, these simple techniques suggested can be used for immediate communication assistance. If you need to discuss more complex issues, interpreting services can be arranged. Contact details of Deaf organisations in your state will be displayed at the conclusion of this segment, if you wish to book an interpreter or find out further information.