The Differences in Modalities of Communication in Hearing Impaired Persons

Abstract

Hearing impairment compromises or prevents verbal communication, which is why hearing impaired people use the various available communication modalities available and their combinations, depending on the extent of the consequences of hearing impairment, and for the purpose of communicating as effectively as possible

Objective: to register  the differences in communication modalities between prelingually and postlingually deaf people.

Methods: The study was conducted on a sample of two groups (prelingually and postlingually deaf persons) from a total of 50 deaf subjects of both sexes. The data were collected through an anonymous questionnaire structured from closed-ended questions, after which they were statistically processed in the SPSS computer program using appropriate statistical methods.

Results: showed the most common use of a combination of sign language, lipreading and speech with a predominant use of sign language in the prelingually deaf, and the advantage of interpreter assistance over other available aids and technology.

Conclusion: Different approaches to communicating with deaf people are necessary to make their communication with the environment accessible and effective, and the most important thing is to ensure that a sufficient number of sign language interpreters are available.