Working with deaf and hearing-impaired people

For many clinicians, meeting and trying to engage a deaf patient for the first time is an anxiety-provoking experience. Lack of deaf awareness has an annual cost to the NHS of £20 million; many deaf clients repeatedly miss appointments, lack information about their condition, and are denied access to interpreters.

This module aims to raise deaf awareness and provide some practical tips for communicating with deaf or severely hearing-impaired clients. It also introduces clinicians to the lived experience of many deaf adolescents: their sense of isolation and blurred identity.

We will discuss current research from the field of language acquisition, development and executive function, and the impact of these on emotional development and mental health. We hope that by the end of the module you will feel more confident when communicating with hearing-impaired clients, enabling you to provide them with more effective care.