Lipspeaking

Who would use a Lipspeaker?

Lipspeakers are mainly used by deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people who use lipreading as their first means of communication with other people. These lipreaders generally have good English skills and a preference for accessing communication via lipreading. A hearing person may use a Lipspeaker to communicate with deaf people within a wide range of situations, such as:

Education
Social Services
Training and courses
Conferences
Workplace
Access to work
Meetings
Financial
Mental health

Medical appointments
Community settings
Legal
Roadshows / Tradeshows
Theatre and performances
Festivals
Religious
Clubs and group activities

A Lipspeaker is a hearing person trained to repeat a speaker’s message to lipreaders accurately, without using their voice. They produce the shape of words, the flow, rhythm and phrasing of natural speech and repeat the stress as used by the speaker.

The Lipspeaker also uses facial expression, natural gestures and fingerspelling and Sign Supported English (if requested) to aid the lipreader’s understanding. A Lipspeaker may be asked to use their voice, thus enabling the lipreader to benefit from any residual hearing.

Want to ask a question about Lipspeaking?

Should you want to know more about Lipspeaking and Lipspeakers and how we can assist with communication, do get in touch with us.

Our Lipspeakers

All the Lipspeakers we work with are registered with the National Register for Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD). Most are also members of The Association of Lipspeakers (ASL), Visual Language Professionals (VLP), The Association of Lipspeakers with Additional Sign (ALAS) or other professional associations.