Overcoming Communication Barriers: Communicating with Deaf People

THERE deaf or hard-of-hearing person. Deaf and hardIS NO TYPICAL of-hearing patrons come from diverse backgrounds and use differing communication modes. Librarians can best communicate with and serve these individuals by learning and applying basic communication skills. Information on deafness and deaf people is presented, as are easily learned skills that are effective in communicating with deaf people in general. INTRODUCTION Librarians typically meet and interact with a wide variety of people. While providing information to library patrons, most librarians will inevitably encounter deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. But when one has little or no experience in communicating with a deaf person, i t is only natural to feel awkward and uncomfortable. How can communication be enhanced? How can one know whether a message is understood or not? How will one understand a person whose speech is unintelligible? This article provides insights on deafness, deaf people, and basic communication skills. Minor modifications to the manner in which Warren R. Goldmann, Department of Science and Engineering Support, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, P.O. Box 9887, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 James R. Mallory, Department of Science and Engineering Support, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, P.O. Box 9887, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 LIBRARY TRENDS, Vol. 41, No. 1, Summer 1992, pp. 21-30 @ 1992 The Board of Trustees, University of Illinois 22 LIBRARY TRENDWSUMMER 1992 one converses can facilitate communication with deaf people, greatly enhance the mutual comfort level of library personnel and deaf patrons alike, and lead to more productive interaction.