Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing and late deafened

DHS Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services notes that one in five Minnesotans has a hearing loss. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing uses the same figure. That large group includes people with very different lives and communication needs.

Deaf people who use ASL as their primary language usually need a qualified ASL interpreter, ASL video content, or a signing staff member who is fluent enough for the conversation. Hard-of-hearing people have some usable hearing. Many use hearing aids or cochlear implants, captioning, assistive listening systems or speech reading, and many do not use ASL. The NAD notes that some hard-of-hearing people describe themselves as in some ways hearing and in some ways deaf. Late-deafened people lost their hearing as adults, often after a lifetime in spoken English. They may rely heavily on real-time captioning and written communication and may be grieving the change.

DeafBlind people have combined hearing and vision loss. Their communication varies widely. Some use tactile sign language, where the person places their hands on the signer's hands. Others use close-vision signing, braille, large print, or amplification combined with magnification. The ADA lists tactile interpreters among the auxiliary aids that may be required. DeafBlind people may also need support persons for navigating spaces, and DHS State Services offers programs specifically for people with combined vision and hearing loss.

Because the range is so wide, the best starting point is a question, not a guess. How do you prefer to communicate? What works best for you in meetings, on the phone, and in writing? Is there anything that makes communication harder, such as lighting, background noise or group conversations? Then record the answer so the person does not have to repeat it at every contact. Keep in mind that preferences can differ by setting: someone may be fine with captions in a large webinar but need an interpreter for a one-on-one conversation about services. Respect the person's choice even when a different option would be easier to arrange.

A fictional example to examine

Fictional case: Harold, a man in his seventies, lost his hearing over the past few years. He is meeting with a county worker, Ruth, about in-home supports. The county has booked an ASL interpreter because his file says deaf. When they arrive, Harold says he does not know sign language and asks whether they can use captions on a laptop instead. Ruth is not sure the county has a captioning option ready.

Try a situation

What should Ruth do?

Continue with the ASL interpreter, since one was already booked and paid for.

Communicate by passing handwritten notes for the whole assessment.

Use whatever quick captioning or typing option is available for now, confirm Harold's preference, and arrange real-time captioning for future meetings, updating the file.

Carry this forward

DHS Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services notes that one in five Minnesotans has a hearing loss.
Deaf people who use ASL as their primary language usually need a qualified ASL interpreter, ASL video content, or a signing staff member who is fluent enough for the conversation.
DeafBlind people have combined hearing and vision loss.
Because the range is so wide, the best starting point is a question, not a guess.

Find out how your unit arranges real-time captioning, sometimes called CART, as well as ASL and tactile interpreting. Save the steps and lead times in a place your team uses.

Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing and late deafened

What you’ll be able to do