Deafness and Hearing Difficulties
People with hearing disabilities are those who:
- Cannot hear at normal levels because of a variety of factors which affect transference of sound
- Due to communication or language difficulty, cannot easily understand what is being said to them in every situation and therefore cannot always respond with confidence
- Have difficulty communicating with people in spoken English (if they are profoundly Deaf and Australian Sign Language is their first language)
Hearing difficulties can range from mild to moderate, severe and profound. People who can still hear some sounds identify as being "hard of hearing." A person with mild hearing loss may not even be aware of their inability to hear certain sounds. Moderate hearing loss may cause some difficulty in hearing, for example background noise, but not in every situation.
Many people who are profoundly Deaf and use sign language, identify themselves with quite a unique culture - the Deaf culture. The Deaf community represents people who consider deafness to be a difference in human experience rather than a disability, and are proud to be members of the Deaf community. Identification with this group is a personal choice and members of this group generally use Auslan, or Australian Sign Language. As such, they are a linguistic minority group, in a similar way as people from a non-English speaking background are. When used in the cultural sense, the word Deaf is capitalised.
Did you know that approximately 17 000 people in Australia communicate using Australian Sign Language?
The degree and type of hearing loss a person has can vary greatly. Always ask the person what the best method of communication is for them.
There are a number of aids available for people with who are Deaf or hard of hearing such as: hearing aids, amplified telephones, captioned DVDs and vibrating watches/alarms. As technology progresses, new devices are assisting people who are Deaf or hard of hearing on a daily basis. For example, webcams and internet forums are used to communicate with friends and family, audio loops enable people with hearing aids to better hear presentations, and SMS enables people to communicate instantly.
What you can do
Do
- Always look at the person when you are talking to them.
- Ask the person how best to communicate with them (lip reading, writing notes etc)
- Be aware that the person who is Deaf or hard of hearing may be disadvantaged by not knowing what is going on – explain to them what is happening
- Use ordinary language when directing or describing and be specific
- Identify yourself and ask if you can help (don't assume help is needed)
- Wherever possible address the person who is Deaf or hard of hearing by name so they know you are speaking to them
- When asked a question respond with 'yes' or 'no', or keep your answer brief and to the point.
- Be natural, don't force enthusiasm
- Treat people in a manner that is appropriate to their age
Don't
- Be offended by lack of response - the person may not realise you are addressing them
- Address questions via the Deaf or hard of hearing person's companion - address the person directly
- Turn away from the person who is hearing impaired while still speaking to them, to break eye contact can be considered rude