Communication Modes for clients who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind

Below, you will find information about communication
modes used here with:

• Clients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and rely on sign language as a primary communication mode
• Clients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and prefer to use voice and lip-reading/speech-reading
• Clients who are Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf who do not sign.
• Clients who are Deaf-Blind, have Low Vision, or Usher Syndrome

Clients who Deaf and HOH and rely on sign language as a primary communication mode:

No need to struggle reading lips here! You and I can rely on sign language to convey meaning throughout the session. And I of course am open to any other additional means of communication that you prefer.

Part of the intake form that all clients fill out is a body map to further clarify problem areas (if there are any specific areas to be addressed).

Clients who are Hard of Hearing and prefer to use voice and lip-reading/speech-reading:

Due to growing up with a Hard of Hearing father, I have also learned to facilitate communication with people who can ‘hear’, but not well.

First, my massage office is quiet, with a padded floor to reduce background noise.

I will speak at a pleasantly moderate rate, not too fast,
and not too s l o w.

I will use complete sentences and substitute words and phrases (synonyms) if/when necessary. (Instead of repeating the same exact sentence over and over, making communication easier and quicker for us).

I also do not talk while you happen to look away, so you do not miss anything being said.

I don't have a beard of mustache, which makes for easier understanding of my facial expressions and lip movements.

Hearing aids

If you wear hearing aids, it is of course your choice on whether you’d like to leave them in or not during your massage. But please know that if leave in your hearing aids, you may experience hearing some whistling/feedback should my hand(s) get ‘too close’ to your hearing aid microphone.

During your massage, I will of course try to avoid your ear area. If you remove your hearing aids, I will have a place for you to store them safely.

Clients who are Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing,
or Deaf who do not sign:

Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Late-Deafened and don’t sign?

If sign language is not an accessible means for you to communicate, that is certainly not a problem. We will find some appropriate means to communicate effectively.

This may be via pen and paper or some form of gesturing (i.e.: numerical signs 1-10 for deeper work, thumbs up/thumbs down - standard cultural gestures, etc) to facilitate a better massage session flow.

We can also type on a PDA (such as a Sidekick or Blackberry device), TTY keyboard, use a body map image (photos and/or illustrations of the body) to specify an area to be worked on, or simply use your chosen communication preference so that we together may develop your preferential mode.

Clients who are Deaf-Blind, have Low Vision, or Usher Syndrome

When I schedule with a client who is Deaf-Blind, we can better facilitate your massage via use of tactile sign language to enhance our communication. Again, I of course, welcome any other supplementary means of communication styles that you prefer.

Some additional methods of communicating for us can be via:

• Visual Frame Signing
• Visual Frame Speech-reading
• Tactile Finger spelling
• Block Method
• Tadoma Method
• Large Print, etc

Also, I am currently seeking a body map image illustration that will be translated into Braille - hopefully via the Moon tactile system and/or with Rebus symbols. Please stay tuned!

(If you’d like to be notified of when I receive the body map image for the Blind, please click here and I will contact you as soon as it arrives.)

Massage - What to expect?