I think it’s getting to the point that we are fed up with the way of how people tell us to read their lips because they assume that every Deaf person can lipread when that isn’t even remotely true. I have seen it everywhere, this is common everywhere and it is more annoying than you think. It is acceptable if you would ask a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person if they can lipread but it is not acceptable and disrespectful to demand or to tell Deaf or Hard of Hearing people to lipread because not everyone can do so. Every Deaf and Hard of Hearing people have their preferred method of communications whether it be writing on a paper, demand an interpreter which by law they can require one, use a device such as a smartphone or a tablet to communicate with a hearing person or others that I have not thought of. I have seen some articles, videos and some people in the groups on Facebook or on social media share their experience where they were demanded to read lips but they cannot do so. Some would assume that anyone who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing have the ability to read the lips is a myth, it is tiresome for us come across the people who expect that right away we can lipread just because we are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and by that we feel disrespected because we were being told or being expected to do so instead of asking us if we can or cannot which is more respectful that way.
What Can You Do?
There are many things that you can do if or when you come across a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person, as I have said above that everyone has their preferred methods but here are few of them that I can think of my head especially if you don’t know American Sign Language.
- Do
- Pen and Paper. Get a paper, write to ask how would they like to communicate.
- Get American Sign Language Interpreter (certified preferred) if they request. By law through Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to provide one if this is requested at public or private business or public events.
- Use your smartphone or tablet, or if you see that person has one then allow that person to communicate with their own.
- Open a Microsoft Word, notepad or any other writing applications on laptop or desktop and allow that person to type to communicate.
- Politely ask (on paper) if that person can lipread.
- Do Not
- Tell them to lipread.
- Grab the papers that you both write on to communicate when the communication is not completed, ask first if there is anything else that person need help with. If not, that person can take the written notes but if the person did not and leave without doing so then feel free to throw them away.
- If that person is ordering at the drive-thru, the drive-thru is busy and tell the Deaf or Hard of Hearing customer to come in to order instead of ordering at the drive-thru. Because that Deaf or Hard of Hearing person has every right to order at the drive-thru window as any of others. They will have a piece of paper with the orders written down in advance before pulling over to the drive-thru and then will hand them over to you to order for them.
- At drive-thru, grabs the paper with orders written and forcibly close the drive-thru window to refuse to take the order for them.
- Deny them of their order (any business) due to a communication issue, as Deaf and Hard of Hearing people are always willing to find a way to communicate but all they ask is to meet them the halfway.
- Refusing to provide American Sign Language interpreter, the Deaf person has every right to request one and by
Americans with Disabilities Act law you would be required to provide one if this is requested at public or private business or public events.
Note to Deaf and Hard of Hearing - if I miss anything that you'd like to add to the dos and don'ts list, please leave a comment below so that everybody know as well and I will try to edit the list to add them as well.
These are just a few dos and don’ts examples, but mostly it is common sense. Really, only the difference is the communication itself. If you decide to bar them of their communication, believe me, it will not go anywhere and it will cause a problem even bigger than you can imagine whether it be through legal or so. Only take a few minutes by communicating with them by their preferred method of communication is better than several hours of hassle that you would cause for yourself if you refuse or deny them of their communication which is in violation of Americans with Disabilities Act law but that isn’t all as it would be selfish for you to do so. We simply ask that you allow us to do business with you while at the same time being respectful with each other and to tell instead of asking us to lipread is disrespectful. Or worse of all, at airports when arrive at the desks that they bring a wheelchair over to us and wait for us when we don’t even need them because being Deaf or Hard of Hearing does not have anything to do with legs or anything that we would need a wheelchair unless some of us like myself who is in wheelchair but the point is that if someone says that they are Deaf or Hard of Hearing then don’t bring them a wheelchair unless they specifically ask for one. Oh, here is another one. Airports would also give the Deaf or Hard of Hearing people some braille, which is another nonsense thing to do because being Deaf or Hard of Hearing does not have anything to do with eyes as they only do something with the inner of a person’s ear(s) unless again they specifically ask for one. But the bottom line, again, again and again not every one of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can lipread. If one could do not mean that another one could, as it varies but always ask and never tell or demand anything out of the Deaf community.
Thanks for reading, hope you have a nice day and get a mint.
Joshua “Joshie” Sullivan
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