a guide to recruiting and supporting volunteers with hearing loss valuing volunteers with hearing...
TRANSCRIPT
A guide to recruiting andsupporting volunteers withhearing loss
Valuingvolunteers
with hearing loss
Inside this guideOne in six people in the UK has a hearing loss - that’s a large pool of
potential volunteers. Yet, without meaning to, many organisations presentbarriers that prevent people with hearing loss from volunteering.Action on Hearing Loss wants to change this.
We have produced this guide to:• raise your awareness of the things thatmay prevent people with hearing loss fromvolunteering with your organisation
• help you to remove any communicationbarriers and increase deaf awareness withinyour organisation, to make it more accessibleand welcoming for volunteers with hearing loss.
You will find this guide useful if you:• are unsure how to recruit and support
volunteers with hearing loss
• need more information on communicating,and working, with people who havehearing loss
• would like to increase the diversityof your organisation (see below right).
We use the term ‘people with hearing loss’throughout to refer to people with all levelsof hearing loss (see page 5), including thosewho are profoundly deaf.
We can support you to recruitvolunteers with hearing loss by:
• meeting with you to discuss your work andhow you might better support volunteerswith hearing loss
• helping you to access training for you, yourstaff and volunteers
• giving extra support to volunteers withhearing loss, and those who work with
people with hearing loss in the community
• helping you to book communication supportfor your volunteers, where necessary
• providing ongoing support and advice.
For contact details of Action on Hearing Lossand other relevant organisations, see page 14.
Increase the diversity of your volunteersMany of the communication tips we providein this guide can help you to recruit andretain volunteers from a range of religious,cultural and/or ethnic backgrounds,
different lifestyles, and those who may havemedical illnesses or disabilities.
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 2
Contents
Frequently asked questions 4
Understanding different levels of hearing loss 5
Improving communication 6
Recruiting volunteers 7
Welcoming volunteers 8
Interviewing volunteers 9
Preparing volunteer information packs and guidelines 10
Planning a volunteer training day 11
Supporting volunteers in the workplace 12
Booking and using communication support 13
Useful contacts and resources 14
Questionnaire 15
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 3
Frequently asked questionsPeople with hearing loss represent a talented and skilled pool of potential
volunteers. What’s stopping you from recruiting from this untapped source?
We’ve never had volunteers with hearingloss approach us before. Are you sure theyare out there?
Since one in six of the population has ahearing loss, you have probably worked witha volunteer with a hearing loss before withoutknowing it. People do not always reveal theirhearing loss.
What might prevent people with hearingloss volunteering with us?Many things, including poor communication,not using plain English (see page 10) and alack of flexibility in volunteer roles.
Other barriers include a lack of equipmentto support people with hearing loss, such as:
• textphones - people who have severe orprofound hearing loss may use a textphone
instead of a voice telephone.
• hearing loop systems - these help peoplewho wear hearing aids with an activated
‘loop’ setting to hear more clearly overbackground noise.
These barriers often occur unintentionally,due to organisations not fully understandingdifferent types of hearing loss and how theyaffect people - that is, they are not deaf
aware (see page 5). We can provide you withtraining, support and equipment to help yourorganisation become deaf aware. Contact ourInformation Line for details (see page 14).
Will we have to make a lot of changes to bringin volunteers who are deaf and hard of hearing?
No. Volunteers with hearing loss can carry outthe roles you already recruit for. You just needto make the role accessible - for example, byproviding communication support if necessary.
How will we communicate with ourvolunteers who have hearing loss?
Most people with hearing loss use speech -some may lipread. See page 6 for our tipsfor improving your communication skills.
Around 50,000 people in the UK use BritishSign Language (BSL). For volunteers whouse BSL, you will need an interpreter tocommunicate effectively at meetings andtraining days. Other volunteers may needother forms of communication support. Seepage 13 for more information.
If someone doesn’t reveal their hearing loss,how will I know that they have one?The chances are, you won’t be able to tell thata person has a hearing loss, unless they wearhearing aids or use BSL. That’s why you shouldmake sure that you always communicate clearly.If anyone asks you to repeat something, or
does not understand you the first time, bearthis in mind and be patient and clear.
What happens if a problem arises afterI recruit a volunteer with hearing loss?The Action on Hearing Loss VolunteerDevelopment Team and your local VolunteerCentre can help you resolve any problems.For details of your nearest Volunteer Centre,contact Volunteering England. See page 14for details.
We want to recruit volunteers with hearingloss. What do we do next?
Get in touch! We can help you to recruitvolunteers and will support you through theprocess. We may even be able to advertiseyour opportunity through our communicationsand services.
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Understanding differentlevels of hearing loss
Being aware of the different levels of hearing loss, and howthey can affect communication, will help you to better supportvolunteers with hearing loss.
Hearing loss can be categorised as:Mild: people with mild hearing loss will havesome difficulty following speech, especially innoisy environments. Some wear hearing aidsand find lipreading useful. They will nearlyalways use speech to communicate.
Moderate: people with moderate hearing losswill find it difficult to follow speech, especiallyin noisy environments. They will probablylipread and/or wear hearing aids. Most can usea voice telephone if it has adjustable volume oris designed to work with hearing aids.
Severe: people with severe hearing loss mayhave difficulty following speech, even withhearing aids. Many will lipread or use BSL.They may use sign language interpreters,speech-to-text reporters or lipspeakers (seepage 13). Most find it hard to use a voicetelephone, even if it is amplified, and mayuse a textphone instead.
Profound: people with a profound hearing lossmay get little or no benefit from hearing aids.If they have been deaf since birth or childhood,they may use BSL or lipread. They probablycannot use a voice telephone and prefer atextphone instead.
People who are deafblind have a combinedhearing and sight loss. This means they mayhave difficulty with communication, accessto information and mobility. About 23,000people in the UK are deafblind.
How we can help: We can book you and your staff onto an Action on Hearing Loss ‘DeafAwareness Training Session’ to increase your understanding of hearing loss. Contact ourInformation Line for details (see page 14).
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Improving communicationWith a little practice, everyone can learn to communicate more effectively.The two most important points to bear in mind are that your voice needsto be clearly heard and your lips must be clearly seen.
You also need to:
Speak...
• clearly
• at a steady pace, not too slowly
• at your normal volume.
Keep your lips...
• visible - never turn your face away, orchew sweets, pens or fingers while talking
• in the light (remember that standing infront of a window throws your faceinto shadow).
Keep your lipreader...
• on the same level as you
• about 3ft-6ft away
• aware when you are about to speak(get their attention first).
Keep the room...
• free of background noise (voices, hums,or passing traffic)
• free of distractions (patterned backgrounds,mirrors or moving people).
Remember, lipreading is difficultSounds such as ‘B’, ‘P’ and ‘M’, or ‘Ch’,‘Sh’ and ‘J’ are very hard to see on the lips(try with a friend or watch yourself in themirror). Lipreading requires a great deal ofconcentration so can be quite tiring.Someone who is relying on lipreading inan interview, or training session, will needmore breaks because of this.
You can find more lipreading tips in ourleaflet Watch this Face. To order, contactour Information Line (see page 14) or visit
www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop
How we can help: We can provide a short training session for you and your staff on howto communicate with people with hearing loss. Contact our Information Line for details (seepage 14).
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 6
Recruiting volunteersThere are six simple steps you can take to make sure that youradvertisements are inclusive to people with hearing loss.
1 Use plain English (see page 10).Remember, English is a second languagefor people who have grown up using BSL.
2 Give a fax, textphone number or emailaddress, not just a telephone number.
If you don’t have a textphone, you can stilloffer a textphone number by using the TextRelay telephone prefix (18001) in front ofyour telephone number.
This shows textphone users that you welcomecalls through Text Relay, which is the nationalservice connecting telephone users with
textphone users.
A person called a Relay Assistant will join thecall to relay text-to-voice and voice-to-textin the conversation. Find out how Text Relayworks first by visiting www.textrelay.org.uk
3 Make your wording inclusive, not exclusive.‘Good telephone manner’ could discourage
a person with a hearing loss from applying forthe role, and it might not be necessary.
4 Include an equal opportunities statement.For example: ‘We strongly encourage
applications from black and minority ethnicpeople, deaf and disabled people, and allmembers of the wider community.’
5 Send posters and flyers to your local deafor hard of hearing clubs.
Contact our Information Line for details(see page 14).
6 Advertise in national or local publicationsaimed at people with hearing loss.
Contact our Information Line for details.
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 7
Welcoming volunteersA warm welcome into your project is an important way of makingsure that, once you have recruited your volunteers, you keep them.
Naturally, all volunteers will feel much morewelcomed and encouraged if you:
• smile
• are polite
• speak clearly
• show a pleasant sense of humour
• have plenty of time for them
• are friendly.
First impressionsIf volunteers do not feel welcome, they areunlikely to stay. So, for example, people will
not feel encouraged to volunteer for you if you:
• do not smile
• look uncomfortable talking
• spend as little time as possible with them
• seem unfriendly
• are impatient
• avoid talking to them.
Look at the two lists above again. Imagine avolunteer who is deaf approaches a volunteerco-ordinator who had never met a person
who is deaf before. Suppose that volunteerco-ordinator immediately began to worry aboutwhat to do. Which of those lists is likely to bestdescribe their behaviour?
Sometimes people panic when they realisethe person in front of them has a hearing loss.Because they panic, they forget to be friendlyand smile.
Sometimes they pretend they haven’t seen theperson and ignore them, hoping someone elsewill take over.
At other times, people are rude because theyget fed up with repeating what they are sayingand become impatient.
People do not usually do these things becausethey mean to be unwelcoming - it is mostly dueto a lack of deaf awareness, and comes from
feeling uncomfortable.
The tips in this guide will help you to becomemore deaf aware and welcoming to all of
your volunteers.
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 8
Interviewing volunteersA little preparation will make sure that you and yourpotential volunteers get the most out of an interview.
Before the interview• When you invite a volunteer to an interview,
or to meet you for the first time, always askif they have any accessibility needs, suchas communication support. Rememberthat demand for communication supportprofessionals is extremely high, so you willneed to book early (see page 13).
• A person with a hearing loss might ask if youhave a hearing loop system. We can helpsupply loop systems or put you in touchwith local services that can do this for you.
Contact our Information Line for details (seepage 14).
On the day• Make sure the room is well lit to make
lipreading possible and that your hearingloop, if you have one, is switched on. Set upthe room so that the volunteer will not befacing a window, as this will put the personthey are lipreading in shadow.
• When the volunteer arrives, ask if the roomis arranged appropriately for them.
During the interview• Speak clearly and naturally, and give the
volunteer time to get used to your lipshapes.
• Find out about your volunteer, what their skillsand interests are, and how they can help you,as you would with any other volunteer. Focuson the person’s abilities, not on their hearingloss. Never assume what a volunteer is or isnot able to do.
• Once you have decided which role suits yourvolunteer, think about practicalities. Ask them
what they need to make the role accessiblefor them.
• Be prepared to be flexible and honest. Ifyou are worried that you cannot fully meet
their needs, ask the Action on Hearing LossVolunteer Development Team (see page 14)for advice, or see if you can reach a goodcompromise.
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 9
Preparing volunteer informationpacks and guidelines
The best way to make sure that your information is accessible toall is by writing in plain English.
The Plain English Campaign defines plainEnglish as ‘something the intended audiencecan read, understand and act upon the firsttime they read it’.
If recruited volunteers are not fully able toread your written information, they may:
• not fully understand the project, its valueor their role in it
• be unaware of health and safety guidelines
• become confused with the project and notbe able to carry out all the tasks you expectof them.
To avoid these problems, and to make sureyou always get your message across, thinkcarefully about the language you use, andhow you design your posters, informationsheets and guidelines.
Be clearWhen producing written informationfor volunteers:
• keep sentences and paragraphs short
• always substitute long words for short wordswhere possible. For example, say ‘use’, not‘utilise’, and ‘buy’, not ‘purchase’
• avoid jargon
• break up the writing with headings andbullet points
• think about using clear diagrams to replacelong, written descriptions
• use photographs to illustrate your points -these can be especially effective if they use
real people and not models
• consider passing on the most importantinformation face-to-face instead.
For more information, see our free factsheetProducing information for people with hearingloss. You can order it from our Information
Line (see page 14) or download it from www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/deafawareness
Quick plain English checklist
c Do you use straightforward,everyday English?
c Have you used ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘my’?
c Have you used ‘active’ rather than‘passive’ sentences?
c Could you cut any text to make yourdocument more concise?
c Is your average sentence 15-20words long?
c Is complex information in bulleted lists?
c Can you use pictures/symbols toincrease clarity?
Have you used a clear format?
c Is there a good contrast between thetext and background?
c Is there plenty of white space aroundparagraphs? Is the text all justified left?
c Have you included sub-headings tobreak up the text?
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Planning a volunteer training dayIf you have a training day for volunteers, be aware of anyone in your audiencewho may have a hearing loss. Use the following tips to make sure youraudience can understand you.
Before the day• Ask your audience before the day of trainingif they need any communication support andwhich type they require.
• Plan plenty of breaks in your agenda. Itis hard work for someone to lipread for
long stretches of time. Also, sign languageinterpreters and other communicationsupport staff will need breaks every30-40 minutes.
• Prepare handouts and overheads, written inplain English, to back up your key messagesand send these out in advance. It can be hardfor people with hearing loss to pick up all themessages delivered during training.
The training roomSet up the training room carefully. If anyone
in your audience is lipreading, they will need:
• good lighting - make sure that the mainspeakers are not standing in front of windows
• a clear view of the speakers’ faces - reservesome chairs at the front
• minimal background noise
• a working hearing loop system, if youhave one.
Clear communication• Begin your session by making sure people
with hearing loss can hear you or see the signlanguage interpreter, lipspeaker or speech-to-text reporter. Check at regular intervals.
• Remind everyone to speak clearly, and oneat a time, giving everyone a chance to join in.Remember that an interpreter cannot
interpret two voices at once!
• Use clear speech at all times. Try not to walkaround too much, as this makes it more
difficult to lipread.
• Remember that, while people with hearingloss are reading your handouts andoverheads, they cannot lipread or watchan interpreter. Give people time to read theoverhead or handout, and to look at youbefore you start talking again.
• If you receive a question from the floor duringthe day, repeat it back to the audience beforereplying. Some people may not have heardthe question (including hearing people). Thisalso gives you time to compose your reply!
• Finally, don’t be embarrassed if someone
says they can’t hear you. Be glad they feltcomfortable enough to say so. As long asyou keep calm, and keep trying, you willget there in the end.
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 11
Supporting volunteersin the workplace
These simple steps will help volunteers with hearing loss quicklysettle into your organisation
Make sure that:• your volunteers have fully understood all
information provided during training
• communication professionals are present atany important induction or training sessionsfor those volunteers who need them. Actionon Hearing Loss Communication Services (seepage 14) can help set this up
• you provide a written programme, in plainEnglish, of what will happen in the first few
volunteering sessions
• you stagger information/training, if you can,so that your volunteer is not bombarded with
too much information
• you check after the first day/week/monththat everything is going well
• you think about providing a volunteer ‘buddy’,or appointing a key member of staff withwhom the volunteer can raise any questions
• your volunteer knows who they can ask forhelp if they are having any problems.
Consider your volunteer’swork environment
• Is there good lighting so that they canlipread easily?
• Will they be able to see the rest of the room,and people coming and going? You can help
your volunteer to become part of the teammore quickly by asking them to sit somewherecentral facing other people.
• Do your other volunteers need to learnabout hearing loss? If so, talk to the Actionon Hearing Loss Volunteer DevelopmentTeam about this (see page 14).
• Check that emergency procedures arewritten in plain English (see page 10).
• Make sure your Fire Officer is aware of anyvolunteers who have a hearing loss, so theycan put appropriate evacuation proceduresin place. Specialist equipment can help (suchas vibrating fire alarm pagers). Contact ourInformation Line for more information (seepage 14).
How we can help: The Action on Hearing Loss Volunteer Development Team provides youwith ongoing advice and support. See page 14 for contact details.
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 12
Booking and usingcommunication support
People with hearing loss have a range of different communicationmethods depending on their hearing loss and personal preference.
A communication professional (CP) can make communication far easierfor important interviews or meetings.
If you need to use a CP, contact Action onHearing Loss Communication Services (seepage 14).
Action on Hearing Loss CommunicationServices can provide:• sign language interpreters, who are trained
to interpret between spoken English and BSL.
• lipspeakers, who repeat what is being saidwithout using their voice. Lipspeakers aretrained to have clear lipshapes, and use facialexpression and natural gestures to clarifythe message. They also use appropriatefingerspelling, if needed.
• electronic notetakers, who type the spokenmessage into a special computer, allowing
the person with hearing loss to read it froma screen.
Sign language interpreter Lipspeaker
Things to remember when using CPs• Always speak directly to the person with
hearing loss, not to the CP.
• Make sure that only one person speaks ata time, otherwise it is impossible for the CP
to interpret.
• The CP is always neutral. They are not allowedto give advice or offer opinions.
• CPs work within a strict professional code ofpractice. Everything that is discussed will be
kept confidential.
• The CP will communicate everything that issaid or signed. This includes audible asides.
• CPs need preparation time and backgroundmaterials if they are to do a good job.
• There is usually a slight delay in theinterpreting process.
• CPs need to have short breaks every30-40 minutes.
Speech-to-text reporter
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 13
Useful contacts and resourcesAction on Hearing Loss is working for a world where hearing lossdoesn’t limit or label people, where tinnitus is silenced - and wherepeople value and look after their hearing.
Action on Hearing LossVolunteering Development Team
For any queries relating to volunteeringfor Action on Hearing Loss, contact:
Action on Hearing LossVolunteering Development Team,Towerpoint, 44 North Road, 4th Floor,Room 409, Brighton BN1 1YR
From 16 July 2013 our address will be:Action on Hearing Loss
Volunteering Development TeamRoom 106a, Community Base
113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XGTelephone 01273 669468Textphone 18001 01273 669468
Action on Hearing Loss Information LineOur Information Line offers a wide range ofinformation on hearing loss and tinnitus.
Action on Hearing Loss Information Line,19-23 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8SLTelephone 0808 808 0123
Textphone 0808 808 9000Fax 020 7296 8199SMS 0780 000 0360
Action on Hearing LossCommunication Services
To book sign language interpreters andother communication professionals, contact:Action on Hearing Loss
Communication Services, The Plaza,100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9QJTelephone 0845 685 8000
Textphone 0845 685 8001Fax 0845 685 8002SMS 07624 818778
[email protected]/communication
Action on Hearing Loss ProductsWe sell a wide range of products for peoplewith hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Visit ouronline shop or request a copy of our
products catalogue.
Action on Hearing Loss Products,1 Haddonbrook Business Centre,Fallodan Road, Orton Southgate,Peterborough PE2 6YX
Telephone 01733 361199Textphone 01733 238020Fax 01733 [email protected]
www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop
Text Relay helplineThe BT-funded service through which calls canbe made between textphone and voice phoneusers, in either direction.
Telephone 0870 7311 888Textphone 18001 0800 500 888
Plain English CampaignProvides advice and information on plain English.
PO Box 3, New Mills, High Peak SK22 4QPTelephone 01663 744409Fax 01663 747038
Volunteering EnglandProvides support and volunteering resources.
Society Building, 8 All Saints Street,London N1 9RL
www.volunteering.org.uk
Valuing volunteers with hearing loss 14
QuestionnaireWe want to make sure this pack is accessible, and contains all the informationyou need. We will be updating it regularly.
Please return your feedback to the address below.
Name
Organisation
Your role
Very Quite Not at all
Did you find this pack clear and easy to read?
Did you find the following sections useful:
Frequently asked questions
Understanding different levels of hearing loss
Improving communication
Recruiting volunteers
Welcoming volunteers
Interviewing volunteers
Preparing volunteer information packs and guidelines
Planning a volunteer training day
Supporting volunteers in the workplace
Booking and using communication support
Do you currently have any volunteers who have a hearing loss? Yes / No
If yes, do you think this pack will help you support them? Yes / No
If not, do you hope to recruit some after reading this pack? Yes / No
Is there any further information you would have found helpful?
Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. Your feedback is valuable to us.
Please return to: Action on Hearing Loss Volunteering Team, Towerpoint,44 North Road, 4th Floor, Room 409, Brighton BN1 1YR
or from 16 July 2013 to: Action on Hearing Loss Volunteering Team, Room 106a, CommunityBase, 113 Queen’s Road, Brighton BN1 3XG
We’re the charity taking action onhearing loss since 1911. We can’t do thiswithout your help.
To find out more about what we doand how you can support us go towww.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
Telephone 0808 808 0123Textphone 0808 808 9000
Email [email protected]
Action on Hearing Loss is the trading name of The Royal National Institute for Deaf People.A registered charity in England and Wales (207720) and Scotland (SC038926). A0585/0513