Communication Tips
If you have daily contact with a deaf of hard of hearing person you will know how tiring and difficult it can be for both of you.
The following guidelines may help to increase the quality of communication between you.
- Look at the person
- Face the light – do not position yourself in front of a bright window
- Speak one-to-one if possible. Deaf people find it very difficult to follow conversation in groups
- Keep background noise to a minimum
- Check that the person is looking at you before you speak
- Do not shout, as this will distort your voice and lip pattern – speak clearly with a normal rhythm.
- Sentences and phrases are easier to lipread than single words.
- Rephrase what you are saying if the person doesn’t seem to understand
- Keep your head still, don’t turn your face away while you are speaking
- Do not cover your mouth with your hands or anything you are holding
- Avoid exaggerated or misleading facial expressions
- Use gestures where these are relevant.
- If you change the subject while you are speaking, make sure the deaf person knows
- Check the person is following what you are saying – lipreading can be very tiring
- Write things down if you need to clarify them
Page last updated on: 11/01/2002