The Office of Disability Services offered the lunch-and-learn seminar, “Communicating with People who have Hearing and Speech Disabilities” last Friday, offering alternatives to aid communication with people who have a hearing or speech disability.
Part of Disability Awareness Month: Able and Aware, the seminar was hosted by Jami Grace, assistant director of disability services, and Teressa Gregory, coordinator of the office’s Hearing and Visual Services.
The topics discussed included the logistics of hearing and speech disabilities, what it means to be deaf, and communication tactics and techniques, Grace said.
The methods discussed included person-to-person and person-to-group interaction situations. In a person-to-person setting, the techniques included; getting the deaf person’s attention before speaking, speaking slowly and clearly, looking directly at the person, maintaining eye contact, using pantomime, body language and facial expressions. But it is most important to be courteous with persons with hearing loss, she said.
For a group setting, such as in a classroom, techniques include providing a proper seating arrangement, avoiding unnecessary pacing while speaking and writing on a chalkboard, using visual aids, speaking at a slow pace; and allowing the deaf individual to participate fully in the discussion, Grace said.
According to a 1996 report of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, more than 28 million people in the United States are deaf or hard of hearing.
UT’s office of disabilities is equipped to assist deaf members of the UT community in their everyday life as a student. Many do not view their deafness as a disability, but rather something that is as natural as hearing.
Applying to the office includes a review of medical documents, doctor recommendations and meetings between the applicant and the office.
“We offer help on a case-by-case basis since there are over 1,000 ways to have hearing loss,” Grace said.
Once the disability is identified, the office can offer sign language interpreters and transcribers.
Anna Chambers, junior in educational interpreting, is a contract interpreter for the Office of Disability Services. Chambers has been on contract since January 2005 and said she loves the work.
“Working as a contract interpreter is absolutely rewarding. I help make the classroom more visually accessible by using sign language to interpret the professor’s lectures,” Chambers said. “Interpreters are also used for any university event. For instance, if there is a group project in a class, a student can request an interpreter for group meetings.”
And still, more help is available.
“A student may also request a student note-taker,” Chambers added. “This person uses carbon copy paper to take notes during the class period. The student note-taker and interpreter are compensated for their services during the semester.
