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Working with a Deaf Client: Key Terms You Need to Know

Written by Emily Helliwell on .
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If you've never worked with a d/Deaf client before, you might find yourself encountering lots of  unfamiliar abbreviations and terms. 

To help you navigate a world where 'manual' doesn't come with  instructions and 'CC'ing' has nothing to do with emails, we've put  togther a list of 21 common terms used when discussing deafness  and communication preferences.

Acquired Deafness = when someone is born hearing and becomes deaf later in  life. 

Asymmetrical Hearing Loss = the type of hearing loss in which each ear has a  different level of loss. 

Bilateral Hearing Loss = hearing loss in both ears. 

BSL = British Sign Language. A full language with its own grammar. 

CC = Closed Captioning. Similar to subtitles, Closed Captions provide additional  information that people with hearing loss might not be able to hear, for example  thunderclaps, running water, or sighs. 

CSW = Communication Support Worker. A communication professional who  holds sign language qualifications but is not a qualified interpreter 

d/Deaf = ‘deaf’ with a small ‘d’ refers to anyone with hearing loss and is the  appropriate medical term, ‘Deaf’ with a capital ‘D’ refers to people who identify  as being in the cultural and linguistic minority of the Deaf community. Deaf  people are often proud of their identity and many use British Sign Language as  their preferred method of communication 

Deafblind Manual = a method of communication used by some deafblind  people where letters are individually spelt directly onto the person’s hand. 

Hands-On Signing/ Hand-Under-Hand = a method of communication used by  some deafblind people where their hands are placed on top of the other  person’s and they feel the signs being produced. 

HoH = Hard of Hearing. People who are HoH have a diagnosis of hearing loss  but are not profoundly d/Deaf. Many are able to use hearing aids. 

Lip-reading = working out what is being said by observing a person’s speech  patterns, gestures, and expressions. 

Lip-speaker = a communication professional who has been trained to speak  with a clear lip pattern. The lip speaker repeats what is being said silently in  order to help the d/Deaf person to understand what is being said. 

MSI = Multi-Sensory Impairment. People who have an impairment to both  their hearing and their sight. 

Notetaker = a notetaker is someone who transcribes audio for a d/Deaf  person to read. They can be useful for d/Deaf people who prefer to lipread as  the notetaker can write while the d/Deaf person remains focused on the  speaker’s lips. 

NRCPD = National Registers of Communication Professionals working with  Deaf and Deafblind People. The NRCPD is a regulating body responsible for  registering and setting the standards for professionals working with people  with hearing loss, including BSL interpreters, CSWs, and lip-speakers. 

Oral = a d/Deaf person who prefers to communicate through spoken  language. 

Oralism = the method of teaching d/Deaf children to speak rather than to sign. RSLI = Registered Sign Language Interpreter 

Speech-to-text-reporters = STTRs type up any audio which then appears live  on a screen in front of the d/Deaf person. They can be used in-person and  remotely, for example when making a phone call between a hearing speaker  and a d/Deaf client. 

SSE = Sign Supported English. A communication method which uses BSL signs  but puts them into English word order. 

TSLI = Trainee Sign Language Interpreter 

So now you know your SSEs from your ABCs!  

We hope that you've found this quick guide insightful and are now  more confident and better prepared for your next interaction with a  d/Deaf client!


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 accessiblity.