Deaf Awareness Week is taking place from 6 May 2019 until 12 May 2019 with the aim of promoting the positive aspects of deafness and to try and create a fully deaf-aware society.
At Jackson Boyd we have experience of working with clients who have suffered a hearing loss. We understand that these clients are coming to us at a stressful time in their lives and ensure that we take steps to ensure that we understand their hearing loss and are aware of the best way to communicate with them. This ensures that our clients are comfortable dealing with us and do not feel isolated.
As a client focused law firm it is important to us that there are no barriers to communication with any of our clients. Not all of our communication is done by telephone. We regularly communicate with clients by email and by post. Quite often we will use text messaging and even fax if required. We also have a web chat function on our website which is often used by potential clients to chat to us about their case. This breaks down any remaining communication barriers and ensures that anyone can access our services.
We are also mindful that clients may prefer to meet face to face. We have staff in the office who are able to communicate using British Sign Language (BSL) and have rolled out some training throughout the office. We are also able to arrange note takers, lip speakers or interpreters if required. We can also arrange appointments through Skype if required. This means that our clients can choose their preferred method of communication and can make sure that they feel comfortable with it.
It is important that we understand how to communicate with any clients with a hearing loss so that we can create the best client relationship possible. Below are some of our tips for communication with someone with a hearing loss:
- Don’t shout (it makes you seem aggressive!)
- Make sure the person is facing you before you start speaking
- Speak clearly
- Make sure that the person understands what you are saying
- Make sure that there are no distractions around you and that there is adequate lighting
We also have clients who have lost their hearing as a result of an accident or who have developed a hearing loss as a result of their working conditions. We understand that this can be a very difficult time for them. We are used to dealing with cases that have changed a client’s life significantly and therefore understand the difficulties and frustrations that they are experiencing.
If you consider that you may have a personal injury claim caused by the negligence of another party then please please contact us online by clicking here or speak to a member of our specialist team on 0333 060 6207.
