Deaf Awareness Week in the UK runs from 7-13th May 2007 and to coincide with this, Michelle Lawrie from www.chelltune.co.uk brings us some information on Deaf awareness and BSL.

Many of us have never met a Deaf person, by that I don’t mean someone like your elderly Grandparents who are losing their hearing but someone who was born Deaf and whose first language is British Sign Language (BSL). For every 10,000 people in the world, 10 will be born profoundly Deaf. They probably get little or no benefit from hearing aids and mainly use Sign Language to communicate.

British Sign Language is the first or preferred language of around 70,000 Deaf people in the UK. Almost all deaf and hard of hearing people rely on lipreading to some extent. Many combine signs from BSL with English in order to communicate. Most people think that Sign Language is universal but this isn’t true, each country has its own Sign Language. As mentioned before, in the UK the Sign Language is BSL.

With the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act many commercial and public organisations have to meet the needs of Deaf people.

Here are a few tips to improve communication with deaf people; these apply to people who are profoundly deaf as well as those who have a hearing loss:

• Even if someone is wearing a hearing aid it doesn’t mean they can hear you, check if they need to lipread.
• If the person is using a communication support worker or interpreter always talk directly to the person, not the communicator.
• Make sure you have eye contact with the person you are talking too. Don’t speak till you know you have their attention.
• Don’t shout, it can be uncomfortable for a hearing aid user and also distorts your lip patterns making lipreading difficult.
• If someone doesn’t understand what you say, try rephrasing it rather than keep repeating yourself. Many words sound different but look very similar on the lips. If you look in a mirror and say the words, ‘bat, mat and pat’ or ‘dip, chip and ship’ you will see how alike they look.
• Use simple language and don’t waffle!
• Try to find a place to talk where the lighting is good and there is little background noise. If it’s a dull day then turn on the lights.
• Don’t exaggerate your lip movements when speaking. Speak clearly.
• Do not hide your mouth with your hand and don’t chew gum (or food) while speaking.
• To attract a Deaf person’s attention do not come up behind them and tap this as this may be frightening. Instead stand in front of them. If you are beside them then you could touch their shoulder gently, stamp your foot or even flick the light on and off.
• Try writing things down on paper but remember that English may be the Deaf persons second language so keep it simple.

If you would like to learn to communicate with Deaf people then you may wish to start by purchasing a book from our shop or by taking a Deaf awareness or British Sign Language Course. CACDP is the UK recognised awarding body for qualifications in British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language and other methods of communication used by deaf people. You’ll find more information at www.cacdp.org.uk or you could try contacting your local Deaf centre or college.