Contents:
- Medical Video: Deaf Awareness Week 2018 - Tips for good communication with a Deaf person
- You should call Deaf, not deaf
- Then how to communicate with Deaf people?
- 1. Lock their attention
- 2. Facing each other
- 3. Adjust your distance from the person you're talking to
- 4. Optimize lighting
- 5. Give out the context and keywords
- 6. Use normal lip movements
- 7. Volume of talk
- 8. Use gestures and expressions
- 9. Don't talk in droves
- 10. Be polite
- 11. When there is an interpreter, keep talking and eye contact with the person you're talking to
- 12. Repeat and write the important points
- 13. Make sure your interlocutor understands
Medical Video: Deaf Awareness Week 2018 - Tips for good communication with a Deaf person
For those of you who hear, how often do you meet the other person who is Deaf? What if one day you meet a Deaf person and have to communicate? Don't be confused, there are several ways to communicate with Deaf people if you don't master sign language. Come on, see the review below so that you can become a person who is friendly to disability.
You should call Deaf, not deaf
Maybe you are wondering why it is written Deaf here, not deaf. Isn't deaf people more polite? Wait a minute.
Deafness is often used to describe people with hearing loss ranging from mild to more severe, including deaf people and people who have difficulty hearing (hard of hearing).
According to the University of Washington, many deaf people prefer to be called "deaf" because they consider this more positive than the term deficit deaf or there is something wrong or damaged that makes them have deficiencies and must be corrected if possible.
According to The State of Queensland Government, the term Deaf is a cultural identity, where one culture is the way they communicate differently than people hear. The mention of deaf using the letter T capital signifies a person's identity, as well as a name.
In the results of the coverage on the Liputan6.com website with Deaf persons in Indonesia, Adhi Kusuma Bharotoes at the United States cultural center @america, Adhi said that the word deafness is a medical term that appears to be related to the existence of physical damage relationships. The word deaf makes Deaf friends as separate from normal people's lives. Therefore, Adhi encourages the use of the word Deaf to be used more often.
Then how to communicate with Deaf people?
1. Lock their attention
To get the attention of the person you're talking to who is deaf, call with a wave of hands or by touching their arms or shoulders slowly. Don't be too aggressive.
2. Facing each other
Deaf people need to see the faces of their interlocutors clearly to get an explanation of facial expressions and reading lips. Maintain the same height as the person you're talking to. For example, sit if the person is sitting or stand if he is standing, and use eye contact.
Avoid doing other things when communicating such as biting pencils, using masks, biting your lips, or covering your face or mouth with your hands.
3. Adjust your distance from the person you're talking to
Consider the distance between the person you're talking to who is deaf and yourself. This will affect the hearing and lip reading process. Don't go too far, don't get too close. Standing within a distance of about one meter from the person is ideal enough.
4. Optimize lighting
Good lighting helps your Deaf person to read your lips and see your expression clearly. Avoid effects backlight or silhouette, for example by not talking back to the big window during the day. Make sure the place where you talk to Deaf people is quite clear.
5. Give out the context and keywords
To be fluent in communicating with Deaf people, tell the person you're talking to what you will talk about before starting the conversation. This is so that the person you're talking to is more imagined and easily follows the direction of the conversation.
6. Use normal lip movements
You don't need to exaggerate every word, and don't mumble or talk too fast. This will make reading the lips difficult. Remember, basically lip reading is a skill that is very difficult to master and its proficiency varies from person to person.
According to The State of Queensland Government (Queensland Health), understanding of reading lips by 30-40% the rest is guessing. The ability to read lips depends on how understanding the person you are talking to is the vocabulary and structure of the sentence you are giving.
Not all Deaf people also have the same lip reading ability, if the person seems to have difficulty understanding, try to repeat your message in a different way or sentence than repeating it exactly.
7. Volume of talk
Speak at normal volume. Don't shout, especially if the person you're talking to is using an ABD (hearing aid). Your scream makes your Deaf person feel sick or uncomfortable.
This is the same as too bright lighting that comes right before your eyes, will make your eyes hurt and uncomfortable right? That will be felt by the ears of your interlocutor who is deaf. In addition, shouting when communicating with Deaf people also makes you look aggressive and impolite.
8. Use gestures and expressions
If you don't master sign language, show body language or simple gestures. For example if you want to convey the word "eat", display the person eating in general. Next, show the expression when explaining your intentions. Show your face if something is painful, scary, or when everything is fine.
Don't be shy about using expressions when communicating. Remember, speakers who deliver life will always be more interesting to see.
9. Don't talk in droves
If you and your friends meet a Deaf person, just talk from one person or alternately. If everyone speaks at the same time, this will only make the other person more confused and unable to focus on looking at one face.
10. Be polite
If there is a telephone ringing, or knocking on the door, do not just leave the person you are talking to just like that. Say excuse and tell if you will answer the phone first or open the door. Don't ignore it suddenly and make the other person wait without an explanation.
11. When there is an interpreter, keep talking and eye contact with the person you're talking to
If you meet a Deaf person carrying an interpreter, keep talking directly to the Deaf person, not to the interpreter. In addition, use the words "me" and "you" or "you" when communicating through an interpreter, instead of saying, "Please tell him," or, "He understands or not?" On the interpreter.
12. Repeat and write the important points
If it is possible to have a piece of paper, write the main messages to help communicate with written people such as the date, time, medication dosage, etc. that are important points of your conversation.
13. Make sure your interlocutor understands
Ask for feedback to prevent misunderstandings when communicating with Deaf people. You can immediately ask whether your words were clear or not, just like when you talk to someone who is listening.
