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Accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

Deafness is an invisible disability that’s more common than you’d think.

Find out about the importance of accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and how to make your content and premises accessible to this population.

1.5 billion

The number of people with hearing loss in the world

1 of 4

The number of French people with hearing loss

37%

The percentage of deaf people who wear hearing aids

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people sometimes face major communication obstacles.

As well as complying with the various laws on accessibility for people with disabilities, there are some simple things you can do to make their lives easier, and yours too!

Facilitating understanding during exchanges

It can be difficult for deaf or hard-of-hearing people to understand speech in certain situations. There are a number of solutions to make communication easier.

Facilitating lip-reading: a deaf or hard-of-hearing person will often lip-read to better understand their interlocutor.To facilitate this, it's important not to hide your mouth and be careful to articulate properly.
Use sign language: if the opportunity arises and you speak the language well, don't hesitate to use it!Even a few basic words can bring a smile back to a deaf or hard-of-hearing person;
Don't be afraid to write it down: if comprehension is difficult, don't be afraid to put it in writing. Either by simply using a pen and paper, or by using your phone to write down what you want to say.There are also some great text-to-speech transcription apps: all you have to do is speak, and the app takes care of writing for you!
Thinking about technical solutions: installing an induction loop allows people with hearing aids or cochlear implants to connect directly, wirelessly, to this system and thus to hear your voice or any sound emitted by the loop in their hearing aids ;
Switching to visio, SMS or chat rather than phone : the phone is complicated for most people with hearing loss. Switching to a chat, visio or SMS system will facilitate exchanges. For professionals, there are platforms such as ACCEO and Elioz.

Make video and audio content easier to understand

It can be difficult for a deaf or hard-of-hearing person to understand a video without textual assistance…

Improve their safety and understanding of your organization

When faced with certain sounds or organizations, deaf or hard-of-hearing people can find themselves completely lost, as they are often missing part of the information.

Use visual warning systems: to signal a fire alarm or siren, it's important to think about installing a visual system to let someone who couldn't hear it know that the alarm is going off. A simple flash of light can often save lives! If you have an intercom system, consider adding a light or text signal to let the person know that the system is on and that he or she is being spoken to;
Make use of screens : rather than calling out to people, displaying the name, number or anything else on a screen will help a deaf person better understand that it's their turn.

Improving acceptance of an assistance dog

Access for assistance dogs, is compulsory by law in France, under penalty of a fine in the event of blatant refusal.Here are a few simple tips to ensure there are no problems when the handler/dog pair arrives.Here are a few simple tips to ensure there are no problems when the handler/dog pair arrives.

Check that the dog is wearing a cape or harness showing its status. If in doubt, ask for the dog's identification card and, if applicable, the person's disability card.However, it is forbidden to ask for information about the person's disability;
Do not touch the dog, leash, harness or cape, or distract the dog;
Be patient and understanding;
Train teams to welcome assistance dogs, to avoid conflicts and refusals of access.

Unfortunately, despite the law, assistance dog users are still often refused access… Faced with this situation, we suggest that our beneficiaries and foster families report any refusal of access via our dedicated platform.

These refusals will then be dealt with and a reminder of the law issued. In the event of a repeat offence, a police complaint can also be lodged.

Refusals are also forwarded to OBAC (Observatoire de l’Accessibilité des Chiens guides et d’assistance) for statistical purposes, and for reporting to the relevant authorities, in particular at government level.

Hearing loss is...

an invisible disability

a daily inconvenience

!

All operating, acquisition and training costs for the dogs are entirely borne by the Association les Chiens du Silence: the assistance dog is provided free of charge to the person.

Your support makes this mission possible!