TEN years ago, Colin Capner lost the hearing in one ear. Although his hearing gradually returned, the experience left him with an impression of the difficulties experienced by those with hearing loss, and he developed an interest in the problems encountered in the practical interactions between deaf and hearing people. Here, he suggests how to manage consultations with deaf clients to make the experience as easy as possible for all involved. THERE are approximately 8,945,000 deaf and hard of hearingpeople in the UK. It is estimated that 0-5 per cent of people over 50, increasing to 6 per cent of people over 70, will have profound hearing loss as an age-related change; 70 per cent of the population have some degree of hearing loss by the age of 70.In the UK, 840 babies are born each year with significant deafness and, in the deaf community, an estimated 50,000 people use sign language as their first or preferred language.
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