The Resources You Need For Your Hearing...

Simple Tips for Better Communication

When someone you care about is hard of hearing, there are things you can do to make life a little easier for everyone. By being a conscious communicator, you can greatly diminish many of the common challenges someone with hearing loss faces.

A Few Simple Tips

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  • When speaking to someone with hearing loss, it’s not necessary to shout or over-exaggerate your speech. Simply slow down and focus on speaking clearly.
  • When talking one-on-one, face the other person whenever possible.
  • When planning meetings or one-on-one get-togethers, choose a location that is as quiet as possible and free from extraneous noise.
  • Plan ahead. When dining out, plan to go at times that are less crowded or find a table that is far from the noisy kitchen. When attending large group events, go early to find seats that are close to the stage or speaker.
  • When the listener did not understand what you said, repeat it again a bit more slowly and clearly. If she still has trouble, try again using slightly different words.
  • Be aware of how overwhelming crowd noise can be to someone who has hearing loss. If she is having trouble hearing you in a crowd, move to a quieter location or position yourself to face her if possible.
  • People with hearing loss rely on visual cues like facial expressions and lip movements to complement their hearing. When talking by phone, recognize the absence of these cues and pay special attention to speaking more slowly and clearly.
  • Create opportunities for clarification, especially when it pertains to critical information, by asking, “Does that make sense?” or “Will that work for you?”
  • In small groups, if the listener is having trouble hearing a conversation, it may be helpful to occasionally recap what was recently said. For example, “Sally was just talking about the conclusion of the book, and we agree with her that it ended abruptly.”
  • Help your loved one find a hearing specialist who can appropriately diagnose her hearing loss and find the hearing assistive technology that is right for her.

Not What You Need?

H.E.A.R. Me Out is a nonprofit that helps people with hearing loss overcome the challenges they encounter every day. We want to help you find the help you need. If you didn’t find what you were looking for here, please check out our other resources:

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H.E.A.R. Me Out is an organization that provides information and resources to the deaf and hard of hearing, friends and family who want to help, and critical training for employers.

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Lilburn, GA 30047

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