Be clear about what your target group is. Are they:
Deaf
Deaf people are those (generally) who have been Deaf from a very early age or from birth. Often they have some form of signing, usually British Sign Language, which may be their first language. Many therefore view themselves as being part of a cultural and linguistic minority and not disabled in any way, hence the capital “D” in the adjective Deaf.
Deafened or oral deaf
Deafened or oral deaf people usually do not use any signing and their first language will generally be English. They may disassociate themselves from those who are part of a cultural and linguistic minority. Hearing aids may not be much help – speech-to-text is generally more valued by this group.
Hearing aid users
A very wide age range of people within this group – from young children to elderly people. Those in adulthood tend to be losing their hearing through exposure to noise and require hearing aids to enable them to use hearing and speech to communicate with others.
Deafblind
There are a few people who have difficulties with both hearing and sight. Their communication needs vary greatly depending on what they are able to hear or see.
Know the main points for your venue
what attitudes do your staff have towards deafness/hearing loss
Deaf and hard of hearing people report surprisingly similar responses. Often staff are said to respond negatively with incomprehension or nervousness instead of being calm and measured.
what is the awareness level of different requirements
Deaf and hard of hearing people have similar but also different expectations of what venues can offer.
what knowledge of equipment and resources do key staff have
staff should be able to know what equipment is used and some staff should be able to operate the specialist equipment
Is your venue generally accessible
loop systems for hearing aid wearers
phones with visual text displays (textphones)
fax machines
e-mail facilities
telephone with enhanced volume
fire and entry systems with flashing lights
easy-to-comprehend signs to support customer flow round the venue
synopsis or script available for talks or lectures
trained staff to communicate on the telephone with hard of hearing people
staff who are able to speak clearly, audibly and slightly slower
front-line staff who are able to use minicoms or Typetalk
Staff recruitment and training
Deaf employees
Deaf contracted to carry out short-term projects
Deaf hosts to welcome Deaf groups
awareness about Deaf and hard of hearing people
communication with Deaf people using basic signs
communication with hard of hearing people using spoken language
using textphones (minicom) for Deaf callers
know how the publicity system works for Deaf people
The Event itself
is there a sign language interpreter
are the exhibits interactive and visual
are the sound systems audible and easy for hard of hearing people to hear
is there a “welcomer” who can communicate comfortably with all types of people
if there is a picture or video show, does it have subtitles
if the event is aimed to include deafened and hard of hearing people, is there a lipspeaker or a speech-to-text screen
is the lighting adequate to be able to see the guide or the interpreter (but not damaging to the exhibits)
is the customer flow managed so that the group of Deaf and hard of hearing people are not intrude upon or intrusive themselves
is the Deaf group able to see the Guide without interference to the sight line
Publicity for the Event itself
advertising in the teletext magazine such as Channel 4′s “Deafview” (p685) or BBC2′s “ReadHear” (p641 – 645)
advertising in specialist magazines like the British Deaf News
joining MAGDA for information
developing a mailing list of regular Deaf patrons
creating a network of Deaf influencers to pass on the word
setting up consultations with Deaf and hard of hearing people using an external Deaf consultant to achieve changes with the minimum of expenditure.
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