32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.6.5
Consumers who are deaf and hard of hearing and are referred to vocational rehabilitation will have a variety of communication abilities. Communication levels that may be encountered include:
* Understandable speech and some speech skills (adventitiously deaf or hard of hearing)
* Limited expressive or receptive communication skills, relying on expressions and visual cues
* Limited manual skills without speech
* Fair to good expressive manual skills with or without understanding speech.
Due to the different levels of communication skills of clients, the following should be considered when interviewing a client:
* Arrange seats facing each other
* Ensure proper light in room
* Avoid distractions and interruptions (i.e., telephone calls and smoking)
* Keep language simple to ensure understanding
* Use gestures, pantomimes, and expressions freely
* Use written language or pictures
* Be patient
If your manual communication skills are inadequate, utilize the services of a qualified interpreter.
32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.6.5