September is Deaf Awareness month. Here are some tips on making your organisation more inclusive for Deaf people and people with hearing loss.
Firstly, what is Deafness?
In South Africa, a ‘Deaf’ person with a capital ‘D’ refers to a someone who is part of the South African Deaf community. They use South African Sign Language (SASL) as their main form of communication – even if they have cochlear implants or can read and write other languages – and are fully immersed in Deaf culture. Deafness exists on a scale and someone who identifies as Deaf may be profoundly deaf, meaning they cannot hear any sound at all, or they may have some hearing. Their ability to hear may also vary across different situations.
A person may also be ‘deaf’ (no capital ‘D’) or experience hearing loss without being a member of the Deaf community. Rather than viewing Deafness as a distinct linguistic and cultural identity, they do not use or understand SASL and may view deafness as a disability to overcome in order to integrate into the hearing world.
The tips below can help your organisation serve people who are Deaf, deaf, or who have hearing loss due to age or medical conditions.
Tip #1:
Make information available in more than one format. This could include sharing meeting agendas and key decisions in advance or afterwards and using PowerPoint slides with key ideas written out or represented visually. Remember that any written language is not a Deaf person’s first language, so having information in text form may not always be enough to put everyone on an equal footing and allow them to participate fully.
Tip #2:
Use technology to support accessibility. Whether you have online or in-person meetings or gatherings, there are various platforms and technologies you can use to make what is said more accessible to everyone in the room. Platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom have their own live captioning capabilities that distinguish between speakers. There are also plug-ins available that integrate with MS Teams, Zoom and Google Meet – Otter.ai is particularly good at recognising South African accents. If you use live streaming and recording software such as OBS, live captions can even be projected on the screen as you speak. Remember that lip-reading is quite a rare skill and very few people can follow a full conversation by lip-reading alone.
Tip #3:
Be mindful of how you communicate. Ensure that only one person speaks at a time, face the person you are speaking to, avoid talking while facing away or covering your mouth, and make sure the room is well lit. If the person you are speaking to is Deaf and uses a sign language interpreter, acknowledge the autonomy of the person you are speaking to by looking at them and not the interpreter.
Tip #4:
Use qualified interpreters when needed. When communication with a member of the Deaf community is important, complex or sensitive, relying on family members, colleagues or children to interpret is not an appropriate substitute for a professional interpreter. Plan for interpreting needs in advance rather than treating them as an afterthought. Interpreters can interpret anything from the most run-of-the mill meeting content to university lectures and even songs and poetry. Contact the SU Language Centre at saslibooking@sun.ac.za to book a professional SASL interpreter. Remember that sign languages around the world are distinct languages, so make sure the sign language interpreter you use and the client or colleague you are serving use the same sign language.
Plan for interpreting needs in advance rather than treating them as an afterthought. Interpreters can interpret anything from the most run-of-the mill meeting content to university lectures and even songs and poetry.
Tip #5:
Think beyond compliance. Accessibility should be part of everyday workplace and customer-service practices, not something that happens only when a formal request is made. Inclusive communication benefits everyone by making information clearer, more consistent and easier to access.
Are you interested in learning more about Deaf culture? Contact Nanette at saslibooking@sun.ac.za to book a talk on accessibility and the Deaf community for your organisation.
– by Tania Botha and Sanet de Jager
This post is also available in: English
