How to communicate with the hearing umpaired

You cannot see that a person has difficulties hearing - Hearing disability is a hidden handicap.

Hearing impaired persons are often misunderstood, as their disability is not obvious. They have difficulty keeping up with conversations in large gatherings. People simply seem to be mumbling and you have to ask them to repeat themselves. This often leads to a feeling of being left out.

People suffering from hearing loss can find it difficult to communicate with others. Below is listed some advise on how to communicate successfully with people with a hearing loss.

 

1.  Make sure always to look at each other when talking.
2. It is a good thing to be seated or stay where you can see each other faces. This makes it easier to read lips.
3. When talking in crowds, remember to summarise the key point to the one with a hearing loss.
4. Never talk behind the newspaper or any other item.
5.  Talk directly and make sure you have eye contact.
6. Remember not to talk too fast, and make sure your pronunciation. If necessary, repeat or use other words to explain.
7. Don’t shout! Speak with a normal voice, volume and calm, especially if the one you are talking to wears a hearing instrument.
8. Remember to explain a joke you are laughing about, when with a person with a hearing loss.
9. Avoid unnecessary noise in the background, such as radio, music, TV etc. when talking.

 

Read more about consequences of untreated hearing loss.

 

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