Have you ever found yourself at a restaurant sitting down, leaning in, and yelling at your tablemates because the music just increased in volume and everyone else’s discussions did too? Imagine that scenario for a person who has hearing loss. Even the word unpleasant is not adequate to describe it. 

The good news is that there is a change in the field of architecture and interior design, with more experts paying attention to designing spaces usable for those who are hard of hearing. Additionally, everyone genuinely benefits when these sorts of settings are designed. 

Consider this: wouldn’t life be simpler if someone simply relocated the hurdle, even if you could find a way to detour around it to go from point A to point B? Everyone’s life has been made better and happier. Architects and designers are creating more sensory-aware settings in the following ways.

Beginning of DeafSpace Design

Hansel Bauman, an architect, started collaborating with Gallaudet University’s American Sign Language Deaf Studies division in 2005. His goal was to create architectural rules that would facilitate deaf people’s interaction with built environments. DeafSpace Design, a framework comprising more than 150 design components, is the end product. It influences how hearing-impaired people experience a space.

These components are broken down into the following groups: acoustics, light and color, mobility and proximity, sensory reach, and space and proximity. They aim to address not only the functional requirements of communication but also the requirement that we all have a sense of safety and security in the places we go.

Acoustics

People who are deaf but have some level of hearing may utilize hearing aids or cochlear implants. The many noises that are present in some environments might be distracting for people with implants or hearing aid devices. Hard building surfaces tend to reflect sound waves in a way that generates reverberation, which can be annoying and unpleasant. 

When building places that are utilized by Deaf individuals, reverberation and background noise must be reduced to the greatest extent possible. For instance, carpeted tiles can help lessen reverberation and loud appliances such as air conditioners and generators can be positioned to create the least amount of interruption possible.

Light and Color

Poor lighting circumstances such as shadow patterns, backlighting, and glare are all examples of things that might interfere with clear visual communication. They are also a factor in the development of eye strain, which, in turn, can reduce concentration. It is possible to provide a softer light that is more conducive to effective visual communication through the strategic installation of appropriate electrical lighting as well as design and architectural components that control natural light. 

In addition, it is possible to paint the walls with colors that contrast the skin tones of the inhabitants, such as blues, greens, and even some reds. For instance, using paint with a matte finish rather than a glossy one can be utilized to lessen the amount of glare reflected off of walls.

Mobility

Signers typically keep a good deal of distance between themselves while walking and talking simultaneously. This is done to make it easier for clear visual communication to take place. In addition, they will survey their surroundings to assess for any dangers and to navigate, modifying their course as required. Signers can have the environment, including landscapes, buildings, paths, and rooms, constructed so that they can navigate around space freely. For instance, by making the corridors bigger, signers can carry on discussions while walking without the discomfort of being hemmed in.

Space

A visual-spatial language such as ASL requires its users to keep a certain distance from one another when communicating to accommodate the other person’s signing space. This gap is often larger than the one maintained by persons having a discussion through spoken language. When additional signers join the conversation, the space between them widens to ensure all participants can access the communication. 

These aspects of signed communication are considered while planning the furniture and space arrangement. For instance, mobile seats that do not have armrests make it feasible to modify the size of a “conversation circle” and enable signers to make complete use of the area allotted to them for signing.

Sensory Reach

This is in reference to the requirement that people who are deaf have to be able to orient themselves in space and be visually aware of what is going on around them.   Deaf individuals can “read” their surroundings and the many activities going on in a manner that hearing people cannot do. This is because deaf people are highly attentive to visual and tactile clues such as shadows, vibrations, and the location of persons within an area.

 It is possible for built settings to be created in such a way as to give visual and tactile reach in all 360 degrees, expanding the awareness of deaf people and making it simpler for them to orient themselves in space. Installing windows in walls that separate rooms or constructing such walls to a height that allows them to reach the waist can provide Deaf persons with the ability to see what is going on in other areas.

Conclusion

For hearing-impaired people, navigating noisy restaurants or open-plan offices with raucous talk can be challenging, but this is a problem that can easily be remedied with better design. Some architects and designers are making slow but steady progress toward creating audio-inclusive places. Although these designs are not necessary to be ADA compliant, they help make any building or space an inclusive place. Creating an inclusive environment and bridging the communication gap is a goal of UnSpoken Language Services. An inclusive environment is becoming a reality

 through our hard work and that of others.

The design principles developed for DeafSpace were initially conceived to enhance the way spaces are planned for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; nevertheless, these same concepts are merely generally excellent design principles. Everyone can participate in the conversation when the room has lighting that is easy on the eyes, a sufficient amount of space for individuals to express themselves, and improved acoustics with less reverberation.

Thumbnail Credit: “Deaf Class at Kayieye” by Moving Mountains Trust is licensed under CC BY 2.0.