A practical guide designed to help healthcare providers deliver respectful, person-centred care to people who are Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss. 

With 1 in 6 Australians affected – and growing evidence linking hearing loss to mental health issues – this guide addresses the critical need for accessible, inclusive services. It explores how communication barriers in healthcare can lead to misdiagnosis, distress, and poorer outcomes. 

The guide offers simple and effective strategies such as asking about preferred communication methods, using visual cues, avoiding jargon, reducing background noise, and providing written summaries. It also highlights the importance of cultural awareness, trauma-informed care, and integrating hearing and mental health support. Based on lived experience and national research, this is not a clinical manual, but a guide to everyday inclusive practice.