Various techniques can be used to communicate with deafblind people, including sign language, tactile signing, adapted signage, and palm printing. It is important to be sensitive to etiquette and the severity of the person’s condition when communicating.
People who wish to communicate with deafblinds can do so in a number of ways. Techniques such as sign languages, adapted signs, tracing and hand passing may be employed. An alternative means of communication includes palm printing, which can be used by deafblind people to talk to the general public. Also, you need to be sensitive to common rules of etiquette when communicating with those who are deaf-blind.
Those who are deaf and blind commonly fall into one of four groups: completely deafblind, deafblind with hearing impairment, deafblind, or deafblind. These groups relate to the severity of the disorder, as a deafblind person cannot hear at all or hears very little. This information is important because it may relate to the necessary means of communication.
Sign languages can provide a starting point for talking to deafblind people. These can often be found around the world, with examples in English, Spanish, French and Mexican speaking countries. Each word is represented by a different hand symbol and this can be a viable method of communication with people who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as those with low vision.
In addition to visual methods, sign language can also be conducted using tactile means. This is when the deaf-blind person places their hands on the signer’s hands to feel shapes and movements. Feeling the signer’s hands can help that person understand the message more clearly than visual sign language.
With tactile sign language, it may be necessary to spell out facial or body expressions often used to convey meaning. A smile that usually demonstrates humor, for example, may need to be physically signed for those with deafblindness. This is called fingerpelling, where each word is written using hand motions that correlate to the alphabetic letters. Fingerspelling can be easier to learn than sign language because there are only a select number of characters.
Another method that can be used to communicate with deafblind people is adapted signage. This is often known as visual frame signing in the UK and pertains to sign language that is conducted within the person’s remaining visual range. Sign language often occurs in a very small area and usually in the chest.
Monitoring can be a communication method for deafblind people with limited but usable vision. This is a technique where the person holds the signer’s wrist or forearm while also looking at the signature. A similar technique is hand-over-hand or hands-on-signing. In this case, the receiver rests his hands lightly on the signer’s hands, thus reading the message through touch and movement.
When sign language is not an option, a person can speak to the deaf and blind with a palm print. For this, a person uses his fingertip to print large letters printed on the palm of the deafblind person. Each letter is placed in the same position on the palm to eliminate confusion. Deafblind people can use this method to communicate with the public.
Some general rules of etiquette may also be important when talking to deafblind people. For example, you can get the attention of a deaf and blind person by lightly touching their hand. It is also acceptable to ask a deafblind person which method of communication is preferable. Guests may want to wear shirts that contrast with their skin tones to stand out more clearly to a deaf-blind person. A deaf-blind person should always be informed of the end of the conversation and a supportive service provider should be found to ensure that the person remains safe and comfortable with her.
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