Support for Deaf and hard of hearing students
Support for Deaf and hard of hearing students
According to Action on Hearing Loss, there are
estimated to be about 11 million Deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. While an estimated 900,000 people in the UK have severe or profound hearing loss. By 2035, it's estimated there'll be around 15.6
million people with hearing loss across the UK - that's one in five. Interestingly, it's estimated that there are at least 24,000
people across the UK who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their main language
(although there are likely to be more that we don't know about). Sign languages around the world are very different, in the same way that spoken languages are; similarly, there are regional differences in sign language in the same way that people speak with different accents and dialect words.
Among the common misconceptions that Deaf people encounter are that they can hear if people shout at them – if someone cannot hear you, shouting louder won’t help. Another common misunderstanding is that if you exaggerate your lip movements someone will be able to lipread what you are saying; the opposite is true, as exaggerating sounds can distort your lips and make it more difficult for a deaf person to understand you.
Coping strategies for Deaf and hard of hearing people can include:
- Human support: Note-takers, British Sign Language Interpreter, Teacher of the Deaf
- Hearing aids, loop systems
- Digital recording devices
- Medical students may need to use a digital stethoscope
