The Institute for the Study of the Neurologically Typical proves again that sometimes satire is the quickest way to explain things. The National Association of the Deaf is America's oldest self-advocacy group. The majority of people with hearing impairments are adults who lose their hearing later in life. Use qualified sign language interpreters when you want to make sure you understand what Deaf folks are saying and vice versa. For people who don't know sign language, be clear, restate, use gestures, drawings and get creative.
Telephones are so useful, and yet such a barrier.
Dial directly between computers with a basic terminal program. Use a telephone relay service where humans transliterate between typed and spoken text. Use a real-time text message tool like AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, IRC, or even text pagers. Cindy has gathered a wide range of resources useful to those curious about interpreting . Impairments can be invisible.