One in 10 hearing people would ‘actively avoid’ conversation with a deaf person, YouGov survey finds (BSL)

Ten per cent of hearing people would actively avoid communicating with a deaf person or someone with hearing loss, a YouGov survey commissioned by the Royal National Institute for Deaf people has found.

The poll of more than 2,000 adults, released during Deaf Awareness Week, also revealed close to 60% would not feel confident communicating with a deaf person.

This rises to 84% when it comes to communicating with a British Sign Language (BSL) signer, with half saying it is because they don’t know how.

Other reasons given by respondents as to why they wouldn’t feel confident talking to a deaf person include a lack of experience communicating with a deaf person (62%), and a worry they would come across as patronising (40%) or do something inappropriate (24%).

Those surveyed were also asked questions relating to specific situations, which led to a quarter saying they would be uncomfortable riding in a taxi being driven by someone who is deaf or has a hearing loss, and 22% saying they would be uncomfortable going on a date or meeting them in a bar.

RNID’s director for inclusion, Teri Devine, said the survey results “lay bare” the “everyday stigma and misunderstanding” faced by 12 million people who are deaf or have hearing loss in the UK.

“Many may find these statistics shocking: unfortunately, we know all too well that our communities frequently face barriers in the workplace, when accessing public services and in social situations.

“Despite the majority of people saying they lack experience talking to deaf people and people with hearing loss, hearing loss affects 1 in 5 adults, so the chances are there is someone in your family, your friendship group or at work.

“Hearing loss can be slow to spot, so the person may not realise they are losing their hearing, or they may not feel confident being open about it,” she said.

The charity is now calling on the public to practice its communication tips by remembering the acronym EAR.

E stands for environment and encourages people to “reduce background noise or move to a quieter area”, while A relates to getting a deaf person’s attention by facing them and waving if necessary.

Meanwhile R stands for repeat and rephrase, which people should try doing if a deaf person or someone with hearing loss is struggling to understand them.

Ms Devine added: “We want to encourage everyone to practice our simple communication tips during Deaf Awareness Week, shared by deaf people and people with hearing loss, so that everyone is included in conversation.

“We want to open up conversations about deafness and hearing loss during Deaf Awareness Week, build the public’s confidence in communicating, and highlight the support available.

“The most important thing is just to ask someone how you can help.”

Photo: RNID.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.