Can the Deaf person just read my lips, or can we write notes back and forth, instead of using an interpreter?
Unfortunately, a Deaf person will only get about 33% of what you are saying. Even this requires that the individual be an excellent lip reader, which most Deaf individuals are not. For the average Deaf individual that percentage is much lower. Furthermore, writing notes back and forth is another method that hinders communication between the Deaf and Hearing. This method is not only time consuming, it still only allows for partial understanding for the Deaf since English is really their second language, it would be like writing in Spanish for them. A Deaf person can read and write, however, ASL is often their first language, and therefore writing down information may cause further confusion.
