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Tadoma is a method of communication utilized bydeafblind individuals,[1] in which the listener places theirlittle finger on the speaker'slips and theirfingers along thejawline.[2] The middle three fingers often fall along the speaker's cheeks with the little finger picking up the vibrations of the speaker'sthroat. It is sometimes referred to astactile lipreading, as the listener feels the movement of the lips, the vibrations of thevocal cords, expansion of the cheeks and the warm air produced bynasal phonemes such as 'N' and 'M'.[3] Hand positioning can vary, and it is a sometimes also used byhard-of-hearing people to supplement their remaining hearing.[citation needed]
In some cases, especially if the speaker knowssign language, the deafblind listener may use the Tadoma method with one hand on the speaker's face, and their other hand on the speaker’s signing hand to hear the words. In this way, the two methods reinforce each other, increasing the chances of the listener understanding the speaker.
The Tadoma method can also help a deafblind person retain speech skills they may had otherwise. This can, in special cases, allow deafblind people to acquire entirely new words.
It is a difficult method to learn and use[citation needed], and is rarely used nowadays[citation needed]. However, a small[quantify] number of deafblind people still use the Tadoma method in everyday communication.[citation needed]
The Tadoma method was invented by American teacherSophie Alcorn and developed at thePerkins School for the Blind inMassachusetts. It is named after the first two children to whom it was taught: Winthrop "Tad" Chapman and Oma Simpson. It was hoped that the students would learn to speak by trying to reproduce what they felt on the speaker's face and throat while touching their own face.[4]
Helen Keller was a famous user of the method.
