My top 5 ways to improve audiology
Published Date: 19 Sep 2024
Here are my top five things I would add or change about audiology visits to make them better for deaf children and their families.
- Encourage all patients to get involved with the Deaf community. Unless you’re deaf yourself, it’s incredibly difficult to understand what being deaf is like. They will form life-long friends too!
- Learn British Sign Language (BSL). Audiologists, ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeons, nurses and doctors working with deaf children should learn BSL. There are so many times during audiology appointments when a hearing aid or cochlear implant comes off. When this happens, the only way to communicate with a profoundly deaf child is through sign language!
- Have more deaf awareness. There have been so many times when we’ve missed our name being called while waiting in audiology. (Doesn’t help having a mum who’s deaf too!)
- Add visual displays. Having a screen which would flash and show a patient's name when the audiologist calls them would be a huge asset in all audiology waiting areas. This would ensure equality, and it would also help deaf child feel accepted and included – deaf identity is so important for young deaf children!
- Offer different communication options. There needs to be a text message and/or email option which are used consistently.
