I get this question all the time: “I have a d/Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing coworker/friend/family member, how can I be helpful?” There’s no concrete answer! But the person themselves would be the one to ask, because they know best exactly what they need. I always say not to assume, because every deaf person is going to be different. Not all of them can sign, read/write, speak verbally, or have assistive technology such as cochlear implants. For example, someone who doesn’t know sign language would not benefit from a sign language interpreter. My accommodations are going to be different in compared to someone who has only moderate hearing loss. Most deaf individuals are willing to share what accommodations they need, how it works or what doesn’t work. We don’t expect someone to know everything, but being willing to learn from the information we give you, is SO so important. I’ve seen this too many times when people assume that they know better than the person with a disability themselves, on what would work best for them. For example, I used a iPhone as my work phone at my last hospital, so I could use the Bluetooth feature and closed captioning. Despite my repetitive explanations, it took over 5 months for anyone to grasp that I could not use the standard flip phones, even if it was boosted up to full volume. Hint: it was not a volume issue, but more of a clarity/comprehension issue. #deafnurse #deaf #registerednurse #cochlearimplant #kanso2 #nucleus #hospital #education