Providing communication support for someone who is deaf or has hearing loss

Employers and service providers can support people who are deaf or have hearing loss to communicate more effectively.

Learn about professional services that you can book and technology that you can use.

Communication support professionals

British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters

Deafblind interpreters

Electronic notetakers

Lipspeakers

Speech-to-text reporters

Technology to help with communication

Hearing loops

A hearing loop is an assistive listening system that transmits audio directly to a hearing aid or implant, making it easier to hear speech clearly.

How to check a hearing loop is working

Make sure your loop system is working and learn how to fix problems.

Relay UK

Relay UK is a free textphone service, where a relay assistant types what you’re saying.

Speech-to-text apps

Most smartphones have built-in speech-to-text apps that you can use to transcribe conversations. There are also free and paid apps that you can download.

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