ReachAble

This questionnaire is designed to stimulate thinking and dialogue. It is not intended to test knowledge of disability or attitudes toward people with disabilities. As people increasingly find themselves in situations involving people who are disabled they need to make quick decisions on how to respond. This questionnaire provides an opportunity to think about situations involving people with disabilities, to respond, and then to consider the various responses more carefully.

Q. A person with a hearing impairment who is a good lip reader will be able to see the following percentage of spoken sounds by watching the lips of a speaker.
a) 80% - 90%
b) 40% - 50%
c) 35% or less

c) 35% or less
Estimates as to the percentage of speech that is visible on the lips is 35% at the very highest. Some sounds are not visible on the lips; others are indistinguishable sounds (i.e., compare kiss, sis, and hiss, mother and brother, man, ban and pan). Therefore, even those people with the best skills in lip reading will be unable to distinguish many words. In these instances meaning is often gathered from context, but much of the content of a communication may be missed. Poor enunciation, moustaches, cigarettes or a tendency to turn ones back to an audience will complicate comprehension further.
For many people who become deaf prior to age 6 or so, English is a second language. Their first language is often American Sign Language (ASL), a language with a linguistic structure different from that of English. Many deaf people have mastered the English language as well as ASL. Others have not. Those that haven't may have limited skills in reading or writing English that are not reflective of their actual level of intelligence or achievement. The range of English language competency varies among people who are deaf just as it varies among hearing people.
Despite difficulties, do not hesitate to attempt to communicate with someone with a hearing impairment. Speak normally without exaggerating your lip movements; people are trained to read normal mouth movements. If you have difficulty with the lip reading, you may use gestures, facial expressions, pantomime, pen and paper, interpreters, or all of the above. You may feel strange at first, but your efforts will be appreciated. A sincere attempt to communicate generally meets with success.
Whenever you know that you will be meeting with a person who is deaf, or whenever you are arranging a public meeting or event, do as much as possible to arrange for a certified sign language interpreter to be present (unless the person who is deaf makes a different request). Some cities have agencies that facilitate contact and scheduling with interpreters. To assist you in locating the agency closest to you, contact your local Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.