Complete (total/profound) hearing loss

People who are deaf or hard of hearing can have a hearing loss ranging from the very mild through to profound or complete. The majority of people have mild hearing loss and communicate verbally. People with complete hearing loss (deaf) may communicate in Auslan (Better Health Channel 2007).

Auslan

Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is the language used by the Deaf community of Australia. Auslan is the uniquely visual language that conveys meaning through the use of handshapes, movement and location in space in conjunction with facial expressions and the use of fingerspelling. It has its own vocabulary and grammar, and does not correspond to English—spoken or signed (Australian Association of the Deaf 2007).

• Auslan interpreters

Workplace adjustments and solutions

There are solutions and adjustments for the following job requirements:

• accessing audio
• conversing with many people
• hearing
• interpersonal communication
• managing sensitivity to noise
• responding to warning systems
• speech and language
• using a telephone (or call centre equipment)—ability to hear

References

Australian Association of the Deaf Inc 2003, The Australian Deaf Community, Australian Association of the Deaf Inc, viewed 1 March 2007, <http://www.aad.org.au/info/deafcomm.php>.