A ‘Lipspeaker’ is a hearing person who has been professionally trained to be easy to lipread. Lipspeakers reproduce clearly the shapes of the words and the natural rhythm and stress used by the speaker. They also use facial expression, gesture and, if requested, finger-spelling, to aid the lipreader’s understanding.
Some lipspeakers have additional qualifications in British Sign Language (BSL). This allows them to offer lipspeaking with additional sign to support the meaning. Some lipspeakers are also Registered Sign Language Interpreters, thus dual registered and able to adapt their register to meet the needs of the deaf person in front of them.
All ALAS members have achieved a minimum of both a ‘Level 3 Certificate in Lipspeaking’ and a ‘Level 2 Certificate in British Sign Language’.