7 top tips for communicating for deaf people (2024)

Communication can be a struggle for some deaf people, so we asked one of our hearing dog partners for some top tips on how best to speak with deaf people.

7 top tips for communicating for deaf people (1)

Our tips for communicating with people with a hearing loss

  1. Always face a deaf person.Make eye contact and keep it while you are talking. Try not to look away or cover your mouth as many deaf people rely on lip reading to help them understand you.
  2. Check noise and lighting.Turn off or move away from background noise. Make sure your face is not in shadow and there are no strong lights or sunshine in their eyes.
  3. Keep your distance.Stand a metre or two away from the deaf person. This is important for hearing-aid users, lip-readers and signers.
  4. Speak clearly, slowly and steadily.Don’t mumble, shout or exaggerate – it distorts your lip patterns.
  5. Take turns.If there is more than one person in a conversation take turns to talk.
  6. Repeat and re-phrase if necessary.Trying to say the same thing in a different way might help.
  7. Write it down.Don’t be afraid to write or draw to help understanding.

And arguably one of the most important points to remember is tokeep trying– even if a deaf person does not understand what you’re saying the first few times. So many of our partners have told us that when someone says ‘oh, don’t worry. It doesn’t matter’ it feels like they mean ‘you don’t matter.’ Even if it takes four or five times of rephrasing or even writing it down, don’t give up.

You can also learn how to sign the alphabet in British Sign Language withTV presenter Angellica Bell here.

7 top tips for communicating for deaf people (2024)

FAQs

7 top tips for communicating for deaf people? ›

Broadly defined, communication for deaf individuals occurs through visual, auditory or tactile modes (for individuals who are deafblind). Common visual communication modes include American Sign Language (ASL), Cued Speech, speech reading (lip reading), and gestures.

How to effectively communicate with deaf people? ›

How to communicate with someone who is deaf or has hearing loss
  1. Get my attention. Use simple gestures like waving to get my attention.
  2. Face me. ...
  3. Be patient. ...
  4. Ask someone how they want to be communicated with. ...
  5. Re-phrase what you said. ...
  6. Face the person you're speaking to. ...
  7. Use an interpreter. ...
  8. Write it down.

What are the five ways deaf people will communicate with hearing people? ›

Broadly defined, communication for deaf individuals occurs through visual, auditory or tactile modes (for individuals who are deafblind). Common visual communication modes include American Sign Language (ASL), Cued Speech, speech reading (lip reading), and gestures.

What are many different ways to communicate with deaf people pick the best answer? ›

Common visual communication modes include American Sign Language, cued speech, speech reading (lip reading), and gestures.

What are 3 strategies deaf and hard of hearing people most preferably use to communicate with you? ›

Avoid talking too rapidly or using sentences that are too complex. Slow down a little, pause between sentences or phrases, and wait to make sure you have been understood before going on. Keep your hands away from your face while talking.

What are the 6 guidelines for communication with deaf people? ›

7 top tips for communicating with deaf people.
  • Always face a deaf person. Make eye contact and keep it while you are talking. ...
  • Check noise and lighting. Turn off or move away from background noise. ...
  • Keep your distance. ...
  • Speak clearly, slowly and steadily. ...
  • Take turns. ...
  • Repeat and re-phrase if necessary. ...
  • Write it down.

What are the two main ways of communicating with deaf people? ›

Deaf people have two main ways of communicating with others – lip reading and sign language. Learn more about these two forms of communication below. Deaf people may not be able to hear what you're saying, but that doesn't mean they can't understand you.

What is the best method of communicating with hearing problem? ›

In addition, repeating and rephrasing allows the person with hearing impairment to process information more slowly, creating a less overwhelming learning environment. Communicating parties should understand each other by repeating and rephrasing ideas when necessary to make communication much smoother.

What not to do when talking to a deaf person? ›

5 mistakes to avoid when communicating with a Deaf person
  1. Covering your mouth, turn around, look down or away while talking. ...
  2. Start talking without being aware of the surroundings. ...
  3. Keep repeating what you said using the same exact words. ...
  4. Shouting or exaggerating mouth patterns. ...
  5. Giving up.
Sep 5, 2022

What are the least effective communication strategies between deaf and hearing people? ›

Speech and lip-reading are the least effective communication strategy between Deaf and hearing people.

What do Deaf people use to hear better? ›

Hearing aids amplify sounds so they may be detected by damaged ears. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve.

What are the barriers to communication with a Deaf person? ›

Maintain eye contact while communicating

This makes communication difficult as they cannot read your facial expressions or lips which is vital. Avoid covering your mouth with your hands or paper and speak clearly at your normal pace.

How to communicate with a Deaf person over the phone? ›

Be concise with communication. Avoid using extensive vocabulary when a more simple and common word would get the message across. Use abbreviations and limit the use of punctuation and the backspace key when typing on the TTY. Some commonly used abbreviations are "U" for "you," "PLS" for "please," and "HLD" for "hold."

How can you communicate more effectively with a deaf client who Cannot understand you? ›

Maintain eye contact while communicating

This makes communication difficult as they cannot read your facial expressions or lips which is vital. Avoid covering your mouth with your hands or paper and speak clearly at your normal pace.

What methods of communication are used by individuals with deafblindness? ›

What is Deafblind Manual? Deafblind Manual is a way to communicate using touch only, not sight or speech. Words and sentences are spelt onto your hand using individual letter signs. These are based on the British Sign Language (BSL) fingerspelling alphabet.

How do you talk to a deaf person with an interpreter? ›

Speak directly with the D/deaf person, not the interpreter when using an interpreter to communicate. The interpreter is not part of the conversation and is not permitted to voice personal opinions or enter into the conversation. Face the D/deaf individual and speak to them in a normal manner.

What is the least way to communicate with a deaf person? ›

Lip reading and speech is the LEAST EFFECTIVE communication strategy between Deaf and hearing people.

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