Xxxxxxxx and hard of hearing. People who become deaf after they acquire spoken language (deafened and hard of hearing) will usually communicate using speech and rely on lipreading and reading from notes. People in this deaf19 group are likely to use Lipspeakers and Speech to Text Reporters as their choice of LSP, although some also use sign language and prefer to use an interpreter. • A Lipspeaker works with deaf people who prefer to communicate through lipreading and speech. The lipspeaker listens to what is being said and silently repeats it to the lipreader, using exceptionally clear speech movements, reproducing the rhythm and phrasing of the words used by the speaker, and supporting the meaning with gesture and facial expression. If requested, the lipspeaker will fingerspell the initial letters of any difficult words. If a lipreader requires it, a lipspeaker may repeat the speaker’s words aloud, using clear communication techniques. If hearing people are having difficulty understanding a deaf person directly, lipspeakers may be able to relay what the deaf person is saying. 18 The use of the upper case ‘D’ denotes those who consider themselves to be linguistically and culturally deaf through the use of a shared language (BSL) and culture.
Xxxxxxxx and hard of hearing. People who become deaf after they acquire spoken language (deafened and hard of hearing) will usually communicate using speech and rely on lipreading and reading from notes. People in this deaf group are likely to use Lipspeakers and Speech to Text Reporters as their choice of LSP, although some also use sign language and prefer to use an interpreter. • A Lipspeaker works with deaf people who prefer to communicate through lipreading and speech. The lipspeaker listens to what is being said and silently repeats it to the lipreader, using exceptionally clear speech movements, reproducing the rhythm and phrasing of the words used by the speaker, and supporting the meaning with gesture and facial expression. If requested, the lipspeaker will fingerspell the initial letters of any difficult words. If a lipreader requires it, a lipspeaker may repeat the speaker’s words aloud, using clear communication techniques. If hearing people are having difficulty understanding a deaf person directly, lipspeakers may be able to relay what the deaf person is saying. • A speech-to-text reporter (STTR) will listen to what is being said and key it, word for word, onto an electronic shorthand keyboard which is linked to their laptop. The text is displayed either on the screen of a laptop for one deaf user, or projected onto a large screen or a series of screens for more users. Unlike a qwerty keyboard, the STTR will not press every letter in a word on the keyboard but will press several keys at once, which represent whole words, phrases or shortforms. The specially-designed software will then convert these phonetic chords back into English, which is then displayed for the deaf person to read. The STTR produces a word-for-word account of what is said at speeds in excess of 200 words per minute (wpm) and will also give extra information, such as {laughter}or {applause}, to keep the deaf person informed of the mood of the meeting.
