4 hours ago
Regarding your article (Royals and celebrities warned to watch words as lip-reading videos go viral, 15 March), the public should understand that lip-reading is not an exact science. Research shows that only about 30% of speech information can be seen on the lips under the best circumstances. This is because much of speech articulation occurs inside the mouth, hidden from view.
Lip-reading involves a great deal of guesswork and depends on many factors, including strong English proficiency—which many congenitally deaf individuals lack due to insufficient educational support; the person being lip-read must be close enough to see clearly, keep their head still, and speak with slow, clear lip movements; nothing should obscure the mouth, such as beards or hands; the accent should be familiar to the lip-reader; and ample facial expressions and gestures are necessary.
The TV programme Code of Silence was unrealistic, reflecting common misunderstandings about deafness. Lip-reading and hearing-aid technology have been mythologized to the detriment of deaf people, creating impossible expectations that we must meet.
Jill Jones
Chair, Deaf Experience (Dex)
