Barriers

Deafness affects an individuals' ability to communicate effectively within the hearing world everyday.  Communication is a two way process but for deaf people who may not speak good English or cannot read English well, explaining what they want to say is difficult.  

In many instances hearing people will not take the time or make the effort to communicate with deaf people effectively. This is possibly because they feel embarrassed or have no understanding of deafness and do not realise they are making the deaf person feel frustrated or isolating them from using vital services and support they have a right to access.

Access to services is a common barrier faced everyday by many deaf people. Something simple, like seeing a GP, can cause many deaf people difficulties.  Other ‘everyday’ activities like going to local shops and travelling by train can also have significant barriers that need to be overcome.

The main barrier faced is often communication, especially miscommunication between deaf and hearing parties.  An all too common example of this is health issues as deaf people are regularly misdiagnosed or receive the wrong medication from medical professionals. This is often because symptoms cannot be fully explained without communication support.  

The results of this lack of communication can have very negative effects on deaf people’s physical and mental health

Other aspects of life that can be extremely frustrating are going to local shops,  the post office, retail outlets or using public transport as deaf people will often leave with the wrong product, an inappropriate piece of equipment or be allocated the wrong ticket type.  This is, once again, created through a lack of effective communication knowledge and techniques.