Miss-Delectable
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The Border Mail - Lend deaf people an ear
IMAGINE living in a world where few people speak your language or understand what you are trying to say.
Deaf people face this situation every day.
Deafness Awareness Week started on Sunday and Lavington mother Debbie Hartley is encouraging the general community to try a little harder to communicate with deaf people.
She has two deaf children, Jessica, 23, and Joel, 19, and one who can hear, Mathew, 20.
It was easy for them to make friends at school because other children were enthusiastic to try, but once they got out of high school making friends was a little more difficult.
“People tend to be fascinated by deaf people and sign language,” she said.
“But having a deeper conversation takes time and effort, and if people can’t communicate easily they just quit.”
Mrs Hartley said there were steps to follow when communicating with deaf or partially deaf people: determine if they can lip-read; make sure you are facing them; speak loudly and clearly; eliminate background noise where possible and use visual clues to introduce a topic.
If all else fails, revert to a pen and paper.
One in six Australians experience hearing loss at some stage and they include the Member for Benalla Bill Sykes.
He said some people joked about politicians having selective hearing, but before he had hearing aids fitted to both ears his situation was not so funny.
“I got to the stage where I was missing large parts of conversations during business meetings and social gatherings,” he said.
“I encourage people to have a hearing test and get hearing aids if necessary.”
Last Sunday the St James’ Anglican Church congregation in Lavington experienced the difficulties of communicating when a group of deaf people performed a Noah’s Ark play.
The pews were arranged into pens for animals and at the end of the play the deaf people had to instruct hearing people on how to put the pews back in place.
A support group for deaf people meets at St James’ Anglican Church every third Sunday.
For details call (02) 6040 6457.
IMAGINE living in a world where few people speak your language or understand what you are trying to say.
Deaf people face this situation every day.
Deafness Awareness Week started on Sunday and Lavington mother Debbie Hartley is encouraging the general community to try a little harder to communicate with deaf people.
She has two deaf children, Jessica, 23, and Joel, 19, and one who can hear, Mathew, 20.
It was easy for them to make friends at school because other children were enthusiastic to try, but once they got out of high school making friends was a little more difficult.
“People tend to be fascinated by deaf people and sign language,” she said.
“But having a deeper conversation takes time and effort, and if people can’t communicate easily they just quit.”
Mrs Hartley said there were steps to follow when communicating with deaf or partially deaf people: determine if they can lip-read; make sure you are facing them; speak loudly and clearly; eliminate background noise where possible and use visual clues to introduce a topic.
If all else fails, revert to a pen and paper.
One in six Australians experience hearing loss at some stage and they include the Member for Benalla Bill Sykes.
He said some people joked about politicians having selective hearing, but before he had hearing aids fitted to both ears his situation was not so funny.
“I got to the stage where I was missing large parts of conversations during business meetings and social gatherings,” he said.
“I encourage people to have a hearing test and get hearing aids if necessary.”
Last Sunday the St James’ Anglican Church congregation in Lavington experienced the difficulties of communicating when a group of deaf people performed a Noah’s Ark play.
The pews were arranged into pens for animals and at the end of the play the deaf people had to instruct hearing people on how to put the pews back in place.
A support group for deaf people meets at St James’ Anglican Church every third Sunday.
For details call (02) 6040 6457.