Most people use verbal communication, which deaf people cannot hear. To deal with this problem, deaf people must use other methods of communication. Some methods convert spoken words into a nonverbal language. Others convert spoken language to written text that appears on a display screen. Because spoken languages vary among different cultures, deaf communication methods vary as well.
Sign Language
In the United States, a common form of deaf communication is American Sign Language, or ASL, which uses a complex system of hand gestures instead of spoken words. ASL is based on the spoken English language, so cultures with different languages often use other forms of sign language.
Varieties of Sign Communication
Other forms of sign communication also exist in the U.S, including "signed exact English" and "cued speech," according to the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. These methods convert spoken English into manual signals. Signed exact English incorporates grammatical elements of spoken English, including such conventions as word order and suffixes. Cued speech is a sound-based visual communication system that combines natural mouth movements with eight hand shapes in four different locations to aid in the recognition of the sounds of spoken language.
Technological Aids
A Communication Access Realtime Translation machine, or CART, allows a stenographer to type a shorthand representation of spoken words. The machine converts the shorthand into written text, which it displays on a monitor. Closed captioning is a television service that converts spoken dialogue and other audio elements of a program into written text. Other technological aids use visual cues, such as a bright light, to notify deaf people someone is contacting them. This type of aid can replace a doorbell or other audible device.
Considerations
Lipreading is another form of communication that deaf people might use. With this technique, deaf people analyze the shapes and movements that the tongue, lips and face make during speech. The Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing warns people not to assume that deaf people feel comfortable communicating in this manner. The department says that "only 30 to 40 percent of sounds are distinguishable from sight alone."
Etiquette
The Rochester Institute of Technology offers advice on how to communicate with a deaf person. If necessary, use written communication in combination with facial expressions, body language and gestures. Don't fake understanding to speed up a conversation. Instead, stop the deaf person if something is unclear. Also, when the deaf person has an interpreter, speak directly to the deaf person and maintain eye contact.
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