Working with a Deaf Client: Communication Top Tips
Communicating with d/Deaf clients shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Whether it’s your first d/Deaf client or your fiftieth, following these simple steps will ensure that communication is smooth and straightforward for all.
1. Ask for their communication preferences.
Before arranging a meeting with a d/Deaf client, always ask how they prefer to communicate. Some clients will sign, some will lipread and speak, and others may write. By asking and following their preferences, you enable clear communication while also ensuring your client’s voice is heard and respected. You might think that you’re being proactive by scheduling an interpreter at the first mention of the word ‘deaf’ but jumping the gun like this can actually create more of a headache for everyone involved, not to mention the additional costs. Ask first, then follow. There’s no point booking a sign language interpreter for a client who doesn’t sign!
2. If your client prefers to lip read:
Don’t sit with your back to a light source. Sitting with your back to a light source, such as a window, can create a silhouette effect that makes your facial features difficult to distinguish. This makes it very difficult for your lip patterns to be seen and understood. When scheduling meetings, try to hold them in well-lit rooms and keep your back towards a wall or plain backdrop.
Don’t turn away from the client when speaking. When speaking to a d/Deaf client, it can be easy to forget that they are lip-reading. Turning away or bending down to collect some paper or move your drink breaks the eyeline the lip-reader has on your lips and facial expressions, making it much more difficult to follow the flow of the conversation. If you need to pick something up or look away from the client, pause the conversation or wait until the end to get it. This means your client isn’t playing catch up on bits of information that got lost in small movements.
Don’t over-enunciate. When d/Deaf people are depicted in the media, it is common to see the hearing people they are speaking to dramatically over-enunciate their speech and lip patterns. While you may think you are being helpful by doing this, it actually makes following the conversation harder. By making a point of pronouncing something incredibly clearly, you often distort the lip pattern, making it much tougher to identify the word. Speak as you normally would and clarify key terms or jargon using other visual aids such as writing.
Don’t slow it down. Another common pitfall observed when lip-reading is peoples’ tendency to slow down their speech. Trying to pronounce everything at half speed, and often at an increased volume to go with it, causes confusion, misunderstandings, and, on occasion, insult. Like with over-enunciation, unnaturally slow speech distorts lip patterns. Not only does this make it tougher to understand, but it can make your client feel infantilised and offended, having a disastrous effect on your relationship. Speak clearly, not slowly – speaking in slow motion and increasing the volume won’t improve their ability to hear you!
At the end of your meeting, clarify any key information the client may have missed. Things like names, dates, and times can be easy to miss, particularly if it’s the first time the client has heard them in this specific context. It may be helpful to provide clients with a printout of key terms/ topic covered or the meeting notes. This way you can insure that all the important info was clearly communicated while also giving the client something they can come back to later.
3. If your client has requested a BSL interpreter:
Speak to the client, not the interpreter. The interpreter is there to facilitate communication but isn’t an active party. When working with an interpreter you should face and speak to the client. Don’t use phrases like “Could you tell her…” or “Has he got that?”, instead speak as you would if the interpreter wasn’t there (e.g. “Have you got that?”). This maintains the client’s agency and helps to build positive client relationships.
Allow for extra time. BSL has a different grammar structure to English and interpreted conversations may require more time to accurately translate what is being said. More complex concepts/ jargon may not have a direct signed equivalent and so may need to be explained in greater depth by the interpreter. As a general guide, you should allow an hour and a half for a meeting that would normally take an hour.
Book and confirm the interpreter in advance. If you’re using a pre-booked interpreter for a meeting, for example through the NRCPD register, you should make and confirm the booking at the earliest opportunity. Interpreters are in very short supply. If you leave it too late then you might not be able to get one at all! If possible, send over any important information about the meeting to the interpreter in advance to give them enough time to prepare. If using an on-demand interpreting service, it’s best to start the call 10-15 minutes before the client arrives to brief the interpreter on the meeting content.
Only use NRCPD registered interpreters. Interpreters registered with the NRCPD are regulated and insured, ensuring good quality and professional conduct for you and your client. The use of unqualified/ unregistered (‘cowboy’) interpreters can lead to mistranslations and have a disastrous impact on your meeting and the client relationship overall. The NRCPD register can be found here: https://www.nrcpd.org.uk/
4. If your client prefers to write:
Some clients, particularly older people and people who lost their hearing later in life, may prefer to communicate through writing on paper or a device such as a phone or iPad. When writing, use standard English and avoid complex grammatical structures and large amounts of irrelevant information. Keep things simple and to the point.
Regardless of how your client prefers to communicate, making sure their preferences are listened to lays the foundation for a strong, fair working relationship. Remember, it’s not just about overcoming barriers; it’s about proactively fostering an environment where your Deaf clients feel valued, heard, and respected.
Ultimately, good communication isn’t just a professional skill - it’s an essential part of creating a welcoming, accessible world for everyone.
About the ADN: The Advisors for Deaf Network (ADN) is a not-for-profit initiative which exists to increase accessibility for d/Deaf clients accessing Legal and Financial Services. The ADN blog serves as a resource for increasing awareness of the barriers faced by the d/Deaf community in accessing services and for promoting best practice in accessibility.
