for Deaf Awareness trainers
1. Know your subject
We cannot all know everything there is to know about every topic. However, we can make sure we have a good grounding in the basic areas within Deaf Awareness. We can also be aware of what we don’t know so that we can respond to the question appropriately.
2. Answering questions
When people ask us a question on a subject area outside our knowledge, make a note and look it up before the next Deaf Awareness session.
3. Should we have opinions?
This is always a tricky one because yes, all of us have opinions – some of them quite forceful – on issues around hearing dogs, cochlear implants, use of signing – you name it somebody will have an opinion on it somewhere!
What is more important for Deaf Awareness participants is that they get the basic knowledge given to them in a neutral way.
4. But they’ll say “Well, what do you think?”
Only then would it be appropriate to give your own view and then (this next step is even more important) to say, ‘However, my friend thinks that…’, so that you offer not only your view but someone else’s view which is totally opposite to yours. If you can do that, you know you are on the way to becoming a successful Deaf Awareness trainer.
5. How technical should I get?
Deaf Awareness is not about teaching technical subjects and is certainly not about teaching “how the ear works”! However, you do need to have some basic technical knowledge so that you can answer specific queries.
You do need to know basically how a hearing aid works (whether you wear one yourself or not), how the ear works (not to teach it – see above – but to answer a query from a home carer or possibly a parent), how the loop works (whether you use one or not), what exactly is B.S.L., etc.
6. Where can I find out more information, as I can’t know everything?
There are many excellent explanatory leaflets on the market produced by different D/deaf charities. Some I would highly recommend. Do a Google search and start reading and collecting information.
7. How many people should I accept on my course?
A good workshop has between ten and twelve people. A fairly successful one may have fifteen people. Beyond that it gets too difficult to give good attention. Course participants can get quite bad tempered if they don’t get enough attention.
8. My college always tries to squeeze more people on the course
If you are asked to teach more than twenty people then the workshop needs to be run as a seminar: eg, more ‘talk and chalk’ and less group activities.
The secret of a good session, regardless of the numbers, is that you vary your activities throughout the session.
9. How can I cope with large numbers?
Make sure you have at least one group exercise every half an hour, one pairs exercise, one handout to read, one quiz to fill in, and so on.
10. Some people don’t like the term ‘Deaf Awareness’
I don’t think it matters what you call it. Deaf Awareness is the term that most people understand. When they contact you they are likely to ask you for Deaf Awareness training even though they don’t themselves know quite what they are asking for. You may prefer ‘Deaf Equality’ or ‘Deaf Issues’ (they all mean slightly different things) or ‘information about deafness’, etc. Just find a title that suits you that you feel comfortable with and that truly reflects the content of what you are teaching.
This (now adapted) article first appeared in the CACDP magazine. CACDP is now Signature (www.signature.org.uk).
