Teaching deaf to drive

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MrBassMan

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I am a UK driving instructor and I have been asked to teach a young lady who is completely deaf and has severe speach difficulties.

Hopefully, as you are all experts in this field (having qualified yourselves) What advice can you give to help me and my student?

The car is a manual (stick-shift to our friends over the water).

John
 
All you need to do is use your hands by showing which way you want her to go, etc,...


I had no problem learning how to drive, when he use his hands by telling me which ways to go, and put his hand up by telling me to " stop " or wanted me to turn around, he would use his finger by making a circle etc, he didn't have to talk to me or anything, and if I did good , he would raise his thumb up...
 
If only it were that simple...

For a hearing student I would normally brief a new topic for 10 minutes or so (explain), if necessary I would then demonstate what was required whilst explaining what I was doing (demonstrate), I would then get the student to carry out what was being taught under full verbal instruction. The student would then practice the task with verbal prompts when mistakes are made.

As you can see, there is a lot more to learning to drive than just giving route directions. Route directions are going to be the easy bit, explaining complex topics are my biggest challenge. The lady can lip read but when I met her on a home visit today I found she was nodding and giving the impression she understood me but I am not convinced she did all the time.

The UK driving test is much more difficult than in many other countries and it involves a 40 minute drive in various road and traffic conditions, an emergency stop, 2 reversing manouvres, hills starts etc.
 
MrBassMan said:
If only it were that simple...

For a hearing student I would normally brief a new topic for 10 minutes or so (explain), if necessary I would then demonstate what was required whilst explaining what I was doing (demonstrate), I would then get the student to carry out what was being taught under full verbal instruction. The student would then practice the task with verbal prompts when mistakes are made.

As you can see, there is a lot more to learning to drive than just giving route directions. Route directions are going to be the easy bit, explaining complex topics are my biggest challenge. The lady can lip read but when I met her on a home visit today I found she was nodding and giving the impression she understood me but I am not convinced she did all the time.

The UK driving test is much more difficult than in many other countries and it involves a 40 minute drive in various road and traffic conditions, an emergency stop, 2 reversing manouvres, hills starts etc.
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I'm deaf and also am a student pilot, with massive list of FAA regulations. What my instructor did was to review the overview from blackboard on what is expected before I fly. Then establish the visual aid, maybe index card, and match these cards for each pointer on the overview, then while you are on the road, show her the card so she will match and recognize what you are trying to teach. My flight instructor did a superb job on doing that and I successfully did a Solo and currently is doing dual cross country. Hope something like that will help you out there.
 
help the driver

hello

in england the rule are differnt but the attued is the same try to remember that she does have eye and that most of the skills of drivew in base on what she can see and read.

the real hard part is to show her how to use the manul drive and that is the hard part once you get past the stop and go of that it will be easy to do.

the secone hard part willbe the teacher he need to remember that it is his face that will tell her if she is good or in error and that he will fall back on speaking and not on notes and hand movement.

d
 
MrBassMan said:
I am a UK driving instructor and I have been asked to teach a young lady who is completely deaf and has severe speach difficulties.

Hopefully, as you are all experts in this field (having qualified yourselves) What advice can you give to help me and my student?

The car is a manual (stick-shift to our friends over the water).

John
Click to expand...


umm since the car has a manual, explain to ur student that she has to watch her rpms on the tachometer (if the car has one) for her shift points. Explain the importance of coordination with the use of clutch pedal and shifting at the same time. However it would be much easier for her to start with an automatic tranny car first then when she gains confidence in her driving skills, then switch her to a manual shift car.

I started out driving automatic cars then when my driving skills and confidence increased, I switched over to manual tranny cars. Been doing manuals ever since so its no trouble for me.
 
it shouldn't be that hard, use as much visual aid as you can, ie written words, simple hand signals, and some demonstrations would be good too. (so she can see what she have to do instead of hearing it)
 
Install a r.p.m. tachometer so she will know when to change gears. She will feel the engine vibrations but it is better to have both the r.p.m. tachometer and for her to also recongize the engine vibrations. The r.p.m. tachometer really helps alots.
 
Also make sure she has side mirror and one rear view mirror which will help too. Make sure there are no missing mirrors and if there are any then install one on either side or the rearview mirror.
 
Gt-racing said:
doesn't most car today have a tach installed? espically on a manual.
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Some do come already installed from the factory and some don't come included from the factory. There are alots of good tachometers you can buy from NAPA or Autozone etc.
 
I don't think he might not go the trouble to install a tach for her for a test, but it 'll make it so much easier for her if he did.

can they use another car that have a tach?
 
rockdrummer said:
Why not just have a terp on board?
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England and usa are different countries. If you live in England, you have to pay for your own interpreter service. Many deaf people can not afford the interpreter services at their universities. They have to lipread their professors. I was lucky to attend a university where it is willing to pay for the service outside the country. I went to University of East Anglia for one semester and I didn't pay for the service because the university I go to paid the service.

Just different, if your read this article, i'm sure you guys will be surprised about this discrimination on airplane. Their service are not equally accessable like here. Many deaf people who live in england have to learn how to lipread and speak. They are more popular than here in the US. I have spoken to many deaf friends in England and said that DDA is a big joke. It didn't really help anything. The british government allowed Iberia Airline gets away with the discrimination even though it happened inside their country.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/3919249.stm

The reason they were kicked off the plane, they did not have a hearing escort to go with them on their flight to Spain.
 
Cane Corso said:
England and usa are different countries. If you live in England, you have to pay for your own interpreter service. Many deaf people can not afford the interpreter services at their universities. They have to lipread their professors. I was lucky to attend a university where it is willing to pay for the service outside the country. I went to University of East Anglia for one semester and I didn't pay for the service because the university I go to paid the service.

Just different, if your read this article, i'm sure you guys will be surprised about this discrimination on airplane. Their service are not equally accessable like here. Many deaf people who live in england have to learn how to lipread and speak. They are more popular than here in the US. I have spoken to many deaf friends in England and said that DDA is a big joke. It didn't really help anything. The british government allowed Iberia Airline gets away with the discrimination even though it happened inside their country.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/3919249.stm

The reason they were kicked off the plane, they did not have a hearing escort to go with them on their flight to Spain.
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this is a shame and there must be something that can be done... Do you happen to know how many deaf/hoh people there are in the UK... I am just curious
Thanks
 
Gt-racing said:
a petition would be awsome for those people.
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Well, there was a big debate about it in a different forum last year. I know a guy whose brother was kicked off on that plane too. They did try everything and nothing will change. Peititions do not help with their case because all airlines have their own policy how to regulate their people on the plane. They do have the right to kick anyone off the plane. In England, all airlines are not covered by the DDA law. Also, Iberia airline is not British airline nor american airline. It is a Spanish ariline and they do not have to follow the DDA law in England.

If deaf passenagers have been kicked off by Iberia in the USA, they will be in trouble. British government made a decision not to purse the case against Iberia. All american airlines are required to follow the ADA law whether they do not apply inside England. If american airlines did this to deaf passenagers, for sure they are going to be in a big trouble. In the USA, we are required to provide service to people with disabilities, but in England, they hardly do help anyone out with their service. People with disabilities have to ask for help, people who work there don't help in their own favors. It is a different culture.

Not just deaf people that had a problem with airline, blind people and people who are in wheelcharis had many problems. The British government does care for people with disabilities, but they feel like people should not be responsible for people with disabilities. They are not required to help them unless they are being asked. For example, I had to ask the disability service at University of East Anglia to put up the fire alarm light in my room becauase they are not required by the law to put in every builidngs like here in the USA.

It had to do something with their policy. Because this situation was not cover under DDA law, there is nothing they can really do to change it. If they really want to change, they need to change the DDA law. Right now their hands are really tied.

"Do you happen to know how many deaf/hoh people there are in the UK... I am just curious"

Yes I know many deaf and hoh people in England. I met a few Europeans while I was in England for 3 months. I plan to visit there again and see British friends in August.
 
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