Things People with Hearing Loss Wish You Knew
People with hearing loss are often on the receiving end of misconceptions from others. As a result, they’re also often on the receiving end of awkward and uncomfortable social situations. Obviously, people with hearing loss would like to avoid these awkward moments at all costs.
With that in mind, here are some things that people with hearing loss want you to know!
Hearing loss can make us tired.
Listening to someone who is speaking is a lot of work, especially if you are in a noisy place. As humans, we use our ears all day long and they don’t get much rest—so when we do need to listen hard (like when someone speaks quietly), especially in an environment with lots of background noise or other competing sounds, this can be overwhelming for the person with hearing loss.
Please try to look at us when you speak.
- Make sure they can see your face.
- Don’t block your face or mouth with your hands.
- Don’t cover your mouth with a mask or handkerchief.
- Speak clearly; don’t speak in a monotone, mumble, whisper, or yell. Be aware of how loud you are talking and adjust accordingly so that they can hear you comfortably from across the room or around other people who might be talking at different volumes than you are.
- If possible, avoid slang words, colloquialisms (such as saying “y’all” instead of “you”), sarcasm, and irony when speaking to people with hearing loss; these may be difficult for them to understand unless they’re very obvious in context.
We don’t mind reading lips, but we need your help.
You may have noticed that people with hearing loss are often very good at reading lips. That’s because, in many situations, they’re forced to do so. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to help us out in this department.
First off: they need to see your face! It’s not enough to turn your head slightly towards us; they need their eyes on yours if you want them to understand what you’re saying. Please don’t cover your mouth with your hand or pen when speaking—this makes it harder for them to read the movements of your mouth and lips as they form words. And please speak at a steady pace, clearly, and without getting angry if they ask questions about something that was unclear.
Things like time and place matter a lot.
It’s important to consider how your environment can impact someone with hearing loss.
People who rely on spoken communication often need some quiet time and space to hear you clearly. They may not be able to pick up on background noise or multiple conversations going on around them, so you must make sure the place where you’re talking is a comfortable setting for both of you.
For example, It’s hard to hear:
- In challenging acoustic spaces such as places lots of echoes or hard surfaces
- when it’s noisy
- when other people are talking at the same time
If they are trying really hard but still having trouble understanding what you are saying, consider asking if they’d like you closer or if there is someplace quieter nearby where they could go talk.
Our hearing loss does not define us as people, so please don’t treat us differently because of it.
When you are talking to someone with hearing loss, don’t treat them like they’re not intelligent. They can still hold conversations and sometimes even feel more comfortable doing so because it requires less energy from both parties.
They don’t want to be treated like babies or children—it can be annoying when people speak slowly and loudly as if they’re talking to a toddler. It’s also frustrating when people avoid communicating with them altogether because of hearing loss.
Lastly, hearing loss doesn’t define the individual or make them any different than anyone else on this planet who has something unique about them.
People with hearing loss don’t always want to be the ones to initiate a conversation about hearing loss. You can help them by being sensitive to when they need support, and asking if you can do anything to help.
Empathy is the order of the day!
Just like with any other condition, hearing loss comes with its own set of challenges and misunderstandings. The best thing we can do is educate ourselves and be as sensitive as possible when interacting with people who have it. We can also be more mindful about how we speak to each other daily—it will help everyone communicate better!