9.5.3 Personal contact with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing

Hearing impairment is common in Ireland. Between 4,000 and 5,000 people use sign language as their main language, while several tens of thousands of people are hard of hearing. Two-thirds of the people who reported that they were deaf or hard of hearing in the National Disability Survey (2006) said that they have some or a lot of difficulty in using everyday services.

You will find it easier to communicate with people who are deaf or hard of hearing if:

• you can use at least some basic sign language
   
• the loop system in your library is comprehensive and in good working order
   
• you engage sign language interpreters (from the Sign Language Interpretation Service, SLIS ) for events.

When speaking…

• Speak clearly at normal volume. Shouting distorts your voice and makes lip-reading very difficult, as well as being embarrassing for the person you are talking to.
   
• Face the person when you are speaking to them. No-one can read your lips if they can’t see your face. Don’t obscure it with your hands.
   
• Check your lighting. Make sure that you don’t talk to people where there is a chance that shadows may fall across your face. If you are in silhouette the details of your face can’t be seen. Move to a better-lit part of the library if necessary. Avoid low-level lighting and oddly angled spotlights.
  
  
  • Talk to people who are hard of hearing in a quiet place so that neither you nor they are distracted.
     
  • Spoken English and sign language have very different structures. If you are communicating through a sign language interpreter use straightforward phrases and sentences, and avoid jargon and idioms.
     
  • Similarly, try to keep your constructions and sentences simple when speaking to someone who is lip-reading.
     
  • Remember that some people can’t hear you if you call to them. Approach a deaf or hard-of-hearing person and touch them gently on the shoulder to get their attention.
     
  • It may take a bit more time than usual to complete a transaction with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing. Rushing the person through the transaction will only make communication harder.
     
  • Be patient: people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing get tired and tune out, just like everyone else.

On the phone…

• Automatic answering systems and background music can cause problems for people who are hard-of-hearing. See information about creating barrier-free call routing systems on the Employers’ Forum on Disability website.
  
• Use a fax machine or text on a mobile phone to communicate with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Let them know that the service is there.
  
• Provide alternatives. Offer text messaging services as well as telephone and online communication. You could introduce a dedicated mobile number, or institute a landline service which accepts and sends text messages. Video messaging of various types will also assist sign language users and people who lip-read.