Clients with hearing disabilities

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Rachel Jayne — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:32:10 GMT

At my last practice we had a few clients with hearing problems,one man used to fax us for appointments & take a pad of paper in with him for consults.
Another one used one of these type-talk services to make appointments (which takes forever!) then would bring a friend in to help.
Then we had a lady with a deaf assistance dog who was really good as long as you looked her square in the face & spoke really clearly with exaggerated lip movements.

We have a client where I work now who is blind & going deaf also, her guide dog is one of only a handful in the UK who is a dual-assistance dog. He's so lovely! such a clever dog.

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Saskia Quinn — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:29:24 GMT

thanks guys, you have given me lots to think about

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Helen Freer — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:34:05 GMT

Some of my clients are deaf, so I like you I decided to go to college to start to learn basic sign language ( CACDPC Level 1), but 2 things I found were that some signs are different in different areas ( even within a 5 miles) especially numbers and not all deaf people can sign ( as many deaf people were not allowed to sign at school).

Aside from that I did feel chuffed when I signed and the client understood what I had said and so were they, as they did not have to bring an interpreter any more.

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:15:52 GMT

My neighbour is deaf, he is very good at lip reading, and he usually write things down if he wants to communicate with me, although I do know the alphabet in sign language, it would take ages spelling out every single word.

The colleges where I stay do evening classes for learning sign language, maybe something like that is available in your area?

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:17:19 GMT

Opps pc no one is blind or deaf so a blind friend assure me they are if l remember rightly "hard of seeing" and "hard of hearing" won't add the other words she used about the idiots that came up with those terms.

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:13:02 GMT

I used as a kid to know sign language not great but got by due to the school l went to, forgotten what l knew now though. As sign takes time to learn these tips may help.

If you do not know sign, look at the client, speak slower and do not shout. Keep the words simple. In foreign country's as well what happens especially with the brits is they start to use long complicated words on the obscure assumption that it will get their point across... along with yelling.

See if changing the pitch of your voice helps. With my Dad now profoundly deaf l speak low and slow and we get by, my mum is high pitched and they have a hell of a time communicating.

If you use your hands, we do all tend to wave our hands and arms around when we speak try to use them sensible or not at all they can distract. Grip a table or something if you have problems with them waving around.

Keep an ear on background noise but bear in mind a hollow, empty room or one with not much soft furnishings, like a consult room creats echo that can also make it hard for the deaf client.

Re: Clients with hearing disabilities

Maisy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:45:22 GMT

The deaf clients I have worked with tend to suggest writing things down, or they may bring a friend who can communicate into sign language. I think learning sign language would be very useful though.