| Hearing Impaired people encounter difficulty at work | | | | 1. Use circular seating arrangements. If that is not |
| because their disability is not visible. | | | | possible, front seats should be reserved for H/I |
| If you are dealing with H/I persons, ask them how you | | | | persons and their interpreters. |
| can make changes in the environment to make the | | | | 2. Face the class while speaking. If an interpreter is |
| work place better for them. | | | | present, make sure the trainee can see both the |
| The communication gaps with H/I people are due to | | | | interpreter and the trainer. |
| the following facts: | | | | 3. If there is any interruption in the class, get the |
| 1. People assume that H/I people can hear and | | | | attention of H/I person before resuming the session. |
| understand everything they are spoken to if they are | | | | 4. Use Visual information frequently. Visual information |
| wearing Hearing Aids. However, it should be | | | | is the primary means of communication. Films, diagram, |
| understood that hearing aid picks up all types of noises, | | | | graphs, cartoons or any other visual means are easily |
| not just speech. | | | | understood by H/I people. If charts, graph, pictures, etc. |
| 2. It is not easy for people who are not hearing | | | | are used, describe the material and then show the |
| impaired to understand the difficulties of H/I persons | | | | training aid. This allows the learner to focus on one |
| because it is an invisible ailment which we don’t | | | | major stimulus at a time. |
| take seriously. If you really want to assess their needs, | | | | 5. Be flexible. Allow an H/I student to work with |
| spend a day stuffing your ears with cotton and taping | | | | audiovisual material independently and for a longer |
| your mouth. Only then you can plan what aid H/I | | | | period of time. Ensure, don’t assume – the |
| persons need to accomplish a job and how they could | | | | trainer needs to ensure that H/I persons have |
| be effectively communicated. | | | | understood, rather than assuming that they have |
| If you are employing an H/I person, follow these | | | | understood and continuing with newer learning objects. |
| guidelines. They can be your potential revenue earners. | | | | Frequent evaluation is a key to successful learning. |
| Guidelines for employers: | | | | 6. Identify a suitable location for the instructor. Light |
| 1. Patience is the key. Understand that communication | | | | source should be behind the learner. Trainer should not |
| is a delicate thing. You need to evolve how H/I person | | | | stand in front of a window or in a dark area as it |
| can be explained; getting annoyed is not the solution. | | | | makes speech hearing difficult. |
| 2. Don’t start conversation before they are ready | | | | 7. Peers as helpers. The peer sitting next to the H/I |
| to listen to you. | | | | may help him in following the correct page or in taking |
| 3. Look directly at an H/I person as he/she will hear | | | | notes. The peer can also make carbon copy of the |
| you by your sound and lip movements. | | | | notes so that the H/I person will have his/her own |
| 4. If you are using an Interpreter, ensure that the H/I | | | | notes and copy of the peer’s notes. |
| person is well conversant with the sign language used | | | | 8. Avoid difficult words: Trainers need to avoid using |
| by the Interpreter. | | | | difficult words and instead should use simple words. |
| 5. Use flashing light as alert mechanism rather than | | | | 9. Preview course material: Whenever possible H/I |
| sound. | | | | persons should be allowed to preview the material and |
| 6. Use sms, chatting and e-mails. It is always better, | | | | their basic doubts should be cleared. |
| even for normal people, to communicate in written | | | | 10. Take care of fatigue: H/I persons may feel |
| mode than in spoken words. | | | | exhausted more easily than normal learners; their |
| Training at Work place: | | | | fatigue should not be considered as their disinterest. |
| Training is a continuous process. Hearing Impaired | | | | The fatigue may be due to continuous strain during |
| persons need special care during training. Following | | | | learning. |
| strategies need to be adopted: | | | | |