| Get a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person’s attention: tap him/her on the shoulder; switch the light on and off, or stomp or pound on a shared surface like a wooden floor, table, bench, etc. |
Do not initiate a conversation about a person’s hearing loss or deafness. It implies that you view the person as incomplete, broken or inferior. |
| Ask them to choose the best seating for communication and eliminate background noise when and wherever possible |
Do not try to correct a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person’s signing or indicate that they don’t sign the way a sign language teacher might |
| At a Deaf and/or hard-of-hearing social function, allow the Deaf or hard-of-hearing friend you came with or who invited you to introduce you |
Do not sign or speak when the person is busy with another task or activity |
| Always use your first and last name (fingerspell) when introducing yourself |
Do not throw things to get the person’s attention |
| Talk about any topic you would with your hearing friends |
Do not rely on an interpreter or CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult) to communicate with the Deaf or hard-of-hearing; take the time to learn basic Sign |
| Speak in a simple and precise manner. Short and simple sentences are easier to understand. Try to speak normally without adding exaggerated emotions. |
Do not chew, cover your mouth or face when communicating; mouth movement is an important part of signed communications |
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Do not shout or exaggerate your body language. It comes across as aggressive |
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Do not use inappropriate labels. Terms like deaf and dumb, deaf-mute are outdated and extremely offensive. The generally accepted terms are deaf (with a small ‘d’), Deaf (with a capital ‘D’) and hard-of-hearing |
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Do not break eye contact or ignore people during a conversation. If you have to attend to something, excuse yourself and inform the person |
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Do not stare at two people signing secretly, they could be having a private conversation |
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Do not grab or poke when you walk up behind a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person, this usually indicates something is wrong or is an emergency |
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If you are out for a meal together, do not order for them unless they ask you to |
