Understanding The Deaf

Some people are born into this world without any complications.

Sadly, there are those who are born deaf or who will soon suffer from deafness problems. That sucks and if you happen to meet someone who has this problem, don’t feel sorry for them or treat them differently because that is the last thing they want from you.

If you meet someone who is deaf, ask them how they prefer to communicate with you. You have to remember that although deaf people cannot hear you, they can lip read so you have to talk to them slowly so they can understand what you are saying.

For the males, one problem in communicating with a deaf person could be your facial hair because some of them will not be able to understand you especially if you have a mustache or beard. If this happens, try using the other ways to communicate with them like sign language if you are familiar with it but if you don’t, try writing it down so they can respond.

In the event that you need to get their attention, wave your hand, tap their shoulder gently, flicker the lights or stop on the floor because the vibration will tell them if someone is around. Since they can’t hear you, never shout because you are just wasting your breath.

When you talk to a deaf person, make sure that your face is in the line of view. This will make it easy for them to respond should they want to read your lips. If the person appears to be lost, ask if they understood what you said. If not, repeat it slowly this time.

Some deaf people that you might talk to may not speak English very well. If you have a hard time understanding what they said, tell them to kindly write down what they are trying to say.

Deaf people are just as hard working as people who can hear. Although they won’t be able to answer the phone, they can be tasked to do other things so give them a little credit and accept them for who they are.

If at work you have to speak to other members in a group, take the time out to make sure they understand what is going on because for most deaf people, they are used to interacting on a one to one level.

The same goes if you are hanging out with your friends who can hear on their own and you decide to bring your deaf friend along.

The day may come when you encounter a deaf person accompanied by an interpreter. If you have to communicate, always refer to them in the first person tense. Failure to do this is offensive to the deaf person given that he or she is present.

How we treat people who are deaf should not be different to people we communicate with normally. Why? Because deaf people have feelings and the only difference between both of you is the fact that one person can hear while the other can’t.

With that, you should speak slower, be patient and understanding with these individuals. If you take the time to know them, you might enjoy hanging out with them and forget that he or she is deaf.