The term hearing consumer refers to hearing individuals who use interpreter or transliterator services. Transliterators who serve deaf consumers also serve the hearing people in the same setting. Hearing teachers, students, bosses, and co-workers may rely on a transliterator to cue what they say to an individual who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. Likewise, a deaf individual may express a preference to speak for themselves. However, if hearing consumers have difficulty understanding the deaf person, the CLT must take this into account and while trying to also accommodate the deaf person's preference.
According to the fourth tenet of the CLT Code of Conduct, transliterators should provide information to hearing consumers regarding transliterator services.