Access Fact Sheet:
Accessible communications with Deaf and
hard of hearing
Currently one in six Australians or approximately four million people has
a hearing loss. In creating an inclusive forum or public event for people
who are Deaf or hard of hearing there are a number of considerations.
This fact sheet offers a brief overview of different experiences with
hearing loss and the current types of services and facilities available to
enable accessible communications.
Hearing loss refers to a diminished ability to hear sounds like other
people do, while deafness refers to the inability to understand speech
through hearing even when sound is amplified. Profound deafness
means the person cannot hear anything at all; they are unable to detect
sound, even at the highest volume possible.
Degree of hearing impairment - a person's severity of hearing
impairment is categorised by how much louder than "usual levels" sound
volumes need to be set at before they can detect a sound.
Degree of deafness - any degree of deafness means the person cannot
understand speech through hearing at any level of amplification. If a
person is profoundly deaf, they cannot detect sounds at any volume.
Communication
Assistive listening devices
Assistive listening devices refer to personal equipment to aid hearing,
such as hearing aid or cochlear implant. People, hard of hearing, may or
may not be fitted with an assistive listening device such as a hearing aid,
and the experience varies according to personal circumstances.
Hearing augmentation
Currently, there are a number of options for providing general assistance
for people hard of hearing, whether it be through a hearing loop also
Access Fact Sheet:
© Accessible Arts, January 2014
aarts.net.au
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known as an induction loop, FM or Infrared transmission or a
personal loop. These systems require amplification of the voice in order
to be effective.
Hearing loops can be created through the installation of a coil around the
space where the augmentation is required, such as a meeting room or a
theatre auditorium. Other ways to generate hearing augmentation is
through either an infrared system or using an fm system to send audio
signal to a receiver, such as a hearing aid or headsets, provided as part
of the service. Each arrangement has relative merits depending on the
venue, the period of use, and support staff.
At a live event or forum, both the presenters and the people from the
audience asking the question need to be amplified by speaking into a
microphone in order for the assistive listening device to be effective.
Captioning
Captioning provides visual communication of spoken language and audio
cues in the form of text. Captioning has a number of protocols to ensure
clear communication, such as indicating who is speaking as well as
relevant audio that may not be understood by just watching the action –
such as a sound effect with no visual cues.
Captioning is not a substitute for Auslan interpretation
Auslan
Auslan, Australian Sign Language, is the language of the Australian Deaf
community. It is a gesture based language with it’s own grammar and
vocabulary, and is not a direct translation of spoken or written English. It
is recognised by the Australian Government as ‘a community language
other than English’. Interpreters are often required to aid effective
communication between a hearing person and someone who is Deaf.
People who use Auslan as their first language require a NAATI
accredited professional interpreter to translate spoken word into Auslan,
and provide voice for the Deaf person.
Resources and Links
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Printacall Communication Technologies – hearing augmentation systems
http://www.printacall.com.au/
Auslan Services – Auslan interpreters
http://www.auslanservices.com/
SLCommunications - Auslan interpreters
http://nsw.slcommunications.com.au/
Auslan Stage Left – Auslan interpreters for theatre
http://www.auslanstageleft.com.au/
The CaptioningStudio.com – captioning for theatre
http://captioningstudio.com/live-captioning/
Ai Media
http://ai-media.tv/
CSI captioning
http://www.captioningandsubtitling.com.au/
Red Bee Media
https://lrc.redbeemedia.com.au/
STENOcaptions Australia
http://stenocaptionsaustralia.com/index.php?p=1_2_Products
The Substation
http://thesubstation.com.au/
Access Fact Sheet:
© Accessible Arts, January 2014
aarts.net.au
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