About 48 million Americans today are living with some form of hearing loss. Despite how common it is, hearing loss is an “invisible disability.” Most people without hearing loss have little, if any, idea what it’s like for those who do have it. This can create miscommunication and difficulty in social interactions, but by keeping a few tips in mind, you can help people understand what you need to have a more fluid conversation even with hearing loss.
Disclose Hearing Loss!
Many of us are hesitant to disclose our hearing loss. In shorter interactions, it may not seem worth the time, or we may not want someone to view us differently. We may be concerned that there could be consequences for our employment if our bosses know we have hearing loss. Some of us might simply not think to mention it.
In any case, disclosure is important and not to be avoided. If you are concerned about your employment, please note that the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) protects those with hearing loss and ensures that their employer must provide reasonable accommodations for hearing loss.
There is a two-step method of disclosure that works wonders for almost everyone who tries it. In a situation where you are having trouble hearing another person, first tell them you have hearing loss, then tell them something they can do to communicate with you more effectively.
A few examples of this method:
- “I’m having trouble hearing you because of my hearing loss. Would you mind facing me when you speak, and talking just a little louder, please?”
- “I have hearing loss, but I really want to understand what you’re saying. Can we move this conversation to a quieter room?”
- “This seems important, but I have hearing loss and I’m not catching everything you’re saying right now. Would you mind writing this in an email?”
In each example, the speaker lets the other person know that they have hearing loss—without apologizing for it!—and then offers a solution. While these may be good solutions for you, you’ll probably have some ideas of your own based on your personal experience of hearing loss.
Lean On the Visual
Most people start to do this naturally when hearing loss comes into the picture, but it bears discussion.
First, if you notice yourself or someone you love looking more often at a speaker’s lips than their eyes, it could be a sign of hearing loss. If you’re starting to suspect that someone may be having hearing issues, this can be a major clue. We get a lot of emotional cues from a person’s eyes, so if we’re looking at their lips in order to help us understand what they’re saying, it is likely time to get a set of hearing aids.
Now, even with hearing aids, the visual aspects of a conversation can still be more important than they are for those with normal hearing. This includes paying attention to set and setting. If you’re having a friend over for lunch, make sure you have a situation in place where you can face each other while you’re talking with plenty of light. You don’t want to be on opposite sides of the room, either. Make sure you’re close enough to see their face clearly—and decrease the distance that sound has to travel.
Minimize Background Noise
Just as you want to help enhance the visual aspects of communication, you want to minimize extraneous sound. Fridges buzzing, heaters kicking in, laundry machines, and other household appliances can make it harder to understand what a person is saying, so try to host your guest in areas away from these noisemakers.
Conversational Tactics
You may have to ask for these, but it’s well worth it. Very soon, the people you see regularly will internalize these methods and use them automatically without your asking. Most of us like the feeling that we’re helping someone else, so don’t worry about “inconveniencing” people by asking for improved communication methods. Here are some examples you can try:
- Face me directly.
- Only speak to me while we are in the same room.
- Make sure you have my attention before you start talking.
- Speak slowly and enunciate. Do this by placing more space between your words, not by drawing out your vowels.
- Can you rephrase what you just said? By saying it a different way, rather than repeating it exactly, you give me more information to work with.
- Please don’t speak with your mouth full.
- Please don’t cover your mouth while you speak.
If you or a loved one is having hearing issues, make an appointment for a hearing test at UpState Hearing today. Getting a good set of well-fitted hearing aids is the best way to improve your communication ability once hearing loss comes into play.
