Communication tips:
- Make sure you have the person's attention before you start speaking — make eye contact
- Avoid standing in front of windows or a light source, as your face will be in shadow, making it difficult to read facial expressions and to lip-read
- Speak clearly and at your normal pace, using natural facial expressions and gestures If you're talking to a deaf person and a hearing person, focus on both of them
- Keep your voice at a normal level — don't shout
- Talk directly to the hearing impaired person and not to their BSL interpreter or note-taker Use plain English and don't waffle
- Find a suitable place to talk, with good lighting and away from noise and distractions
- Face them — avoid moving and turning your face away while speaking to help with lip-reading
- Avoid covering your mouth or face while talking as this makes lip-reading difficult
- If someone doesn't understand what you've said, try saying it in a different way Repeat as many times as is necessary. Never say "it doesn't matter"
Delivery tips:
- Allow the hearing impaired person to choose where to sit in the room — they may need to be at the front in order to lip-read
- Consider a horseshoe set up for group discussions
- Minimise background noise for the best listening experience
- Encourage members of the group to raise their hands when contributing to discussions
- Repeat questions from the floor Indicate who is speaking if others make contributions Recap significant ideas or contributions in group discussions
- Provide session content and PowerPoint files at least 24 hours prior to the session
- Ensure all video clips/DVDs are provided with subtitles (please check these are fit for purpose as automated captions can be of very poor quality) Provide all audio clips with a transcript
- Upload lecture capture via ChiPlayer
- Note important vocabulary and concepts on the whiteboard
- Don't expect a deaf person to be able to follow a lecture/seminar and take notes as this is not possible when lip-reading
- Allow time for a deaf student to read electronic notes or follow a BSL interpreter, and then process the information, before responding
- Indicate when a topic is closed and you are moving on to a new topic
- Hearing aids work best at a distance of less than 1.5 metres
- Hearing aids do not restore hearing to normal, they just amplify all sound
- Encourage inclusivity in sessions, providing opportunities to work with everyone and ensuring that group work activities are accessible i.e. listening tasks Be aware that lip-reading is extremely tiring and is 75% guess work!