Effectively communicating with persons from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community may prove to be more difficult than anticipated for the Hearing because of obvious barriers to communication.
Persons from the Deaf community have various needs that facilitate how they communicate with others. Once these needs (which are usually quite simple and basic) are met, the communication process flows more smoothly.
To add context, it helps to have a basic understanding of what it means to be deaf and hard of hearing.
To be deaf is to have very little or no functional hearing and a deaf person often uses sign language to communicate while being hard of hearing means that there is mild to moderate hearing loss. Persons who are hard of hearing may communicate through sign language, spoken language or both.
Here are some tips on how you can communicate effectively the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:
| Do | Don’t |
| Refer to the Deaf as Deaf or Hard of Hearing | Refer to the Deaf as dumb, dummy or hearing impaired |
| Wave or lightly tap the shoulder to get their attention | Start speaking if the deaf person is not looking at you |
| Face the deaf Person | Turn around or move away |
| Make Eye Contact | Look down or away |
| Speak clearly, at a Natural Pace | Talk too slowly or quickly |
| Use an expressive face | Over exaggerate your lip pattern |
| Use natural gestures | Shout (This distorts you face and mouth, and can be painful for hearing aid wearers. |
| Ensure your face is in good light | Stand with a window or bright light behind you |
| Keep your mouth visible | Cover your mouth |
| Make sure the deaf person knows the topic of conversation | Switch to a new topic without warning |
| Check that the deaf person has understood you before continuing | Switch to a new speaker without warning |
| Use pencil and paper if you get stuck OR type using your phone | Feel embarrassed or give up |
| Flip the lights if you need to get the attention of a group of deaf persons in a room. |
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| Learn and practise Sign Language |
For more information, contact the Jamaica Association for the Deaf:
Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD)
Administrative Services
Hope Estates, Papine
Kingston 6
Phone: (876) 970-1778, (876) 970-1779
Fax: (876) 927-1098
Email: admin@jamdeaf.org.jm