Conducting research with participants with an auditory impairment
Accessibility
Valuable tips to optimise your research
As part of our series of articles advising on conducting research with people with various access needs, we focus here on participants with an auditory impairment, including those who are hard of hearing or deaf.
Auditory impairment and English as a second language
It is worth remembering that some people who are deaf may have British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language and English as a second language. Make sure you consider this group when producing content, to ensure that it’s understandable and accessible to people whose first language is not English.
Tips for conducting research with participants with an auditory impairment
Write down any instructions Have instructions written down so that participants can read them instead of you talking to them and them using an interpreter or lipreading. This will be down to personal preference of the participant, however, sometimes reading will take less energy and will be easier for them.
Face the participant and speak clearly When talking to someone with an auditory impairment, the following steps will make it easier for them to lip read and understand you:
Get their attention before you start to speak.
Face them whilst you’re speaking.
Don’t cover your mouth whilst you are talking.
Speak clearly.
Speak directly to them. Some deaf people will have an interpreter with them. Although they will be helping you to communicate with the participant, it is best practice (and polite) to speak directly to the participant, not to their interpreter.
Making digital products more accessible
Our expert consultants are passionate about ensuring that digital products are accessible to everyone. The team brings a range of experience, including conducting research with users with a broad range of impairments.
Get help running research with people with an auditory impairment