2. Communication strategies for the Deaf and hard of hearing people

The Deaf refers usually to a person with hearing loss so severe that there is very little or no functional hearing, while hard of hearing person refers to one with a hearing loss where there may be efficient to use some auditory devices, such as a hearing aid or FM system, which provide adequate assistance to process speech).

Deafened usually refers to a person who became deaf later as a child or adult, and faces different challenges than a person who was born as a deaf.

Deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing individuals may use:

  • hearing aids
  • cochlear implants
  • other assistive listening devices.

People with hearing impairment usually use various kinds of hearing aids (behind the ear, body worn, eyeglass aids etc.). These aids use analogue or digital technologies to strengthen the sound according to the indivdual needs.

Cochlear implant is an aid using completely different technology than hearing aids. Sound sensation comes from the sound that is converted into electric signals which directly stimulate the auditory nerve inside the cochlea. Cochlear implant helps people to hear who would, otherwise, be completely deaf. Auditory vestibular nerve must be intact, and so must auditory cortex in brain; the patient must have potential for development of speech and good enough intellectual abilities.

Communication strategies and rules

In communicatin they may:

  • read lips
  • use sign language (and sign language interpreters), and/or
  • captioning (dactyl alphabet, subtitles...).

Try to learn a few of basic signs of American Sign Language:

Although there is not one international sign language (but only an International Sign System not widely used by the Deaf community), you can tra to learn some international signes here:

- or you may certainly find your own national sign language on the internet...

And now, try to suggest (and write down) a few of common rules for interpersonal communication with a hard of hearing person:

And now you can watch the video and check your suggestions: