Tips for Better Communication
If you’re living with hearing loss, it’s natural at first to be angry, get frustrated and even isolate yourself from those around you. But, having hearing loss shouldn’t keep you from living life the way you’d like.
The Resources You Need For Your Hearing...
There are some things you can do to be proactive and improve communication with others:
- Acknowledge your hearing loss with others, let them know about your hearing difficulties and how to best talk to you.
- Let people know that it’s not necessary to shout or exaggerate their speech to you. Simply let them know that speaking clearly and slightly slower can go a long way!
- When talking one-on-one, face the other person whenever possible.
- When talking in groups or scheduling meetings, 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 a seat that is close to the stage or speaker.
- Seek visual cues to supplement communication.
- Take advantage of written or visual aids as available (i.e. speaker slides, closed captioning, hard copy handouts).
- Let others know when you didn’t understand something to avoid miscommunication.
- Use effective communication strategies to help fill in gaps. Instead of having the speaker repeat everything he or she said, try letting them know what you did hear and ask for clarification on what you missed.
- Fill friends, family members and co-workers in on things they can do to help improve communication with you. Oftentimes, a little effort on everyone’s part can go a long way.
- Find a hearing specialist who can appropriately diagnose your hearing loss and help you find the hearing assistive technology that is right for you.
- Keep a sense of humor about the situation, be patient with yourself and others, and keep working to hone your listening skills.
FAQs for People Living with Hearing Loss
How common is hearing loss?
According to a survey conducted in 2009 by the Bureau of Health Information, hearing loss has grown 160 percent over past generations primarily due to the aging population. Yet, 60 percent of people with hearing loss are actually below retirement age. Approximately 16.3 million people in the American workforce have some degree of hearing loss and 50 percent of individuals with untreated hearing loss have never had their hearing professionally checked. In other words, many working people may not know they have a hearing loss.What if I leave my hearing loss untreated?
People who leave their hearing loss untreated face profound challenges when it comes to both education and employment. Approximately 45 percent of deaf individuals do not graduate from high school and only five percent graduate from college. Adults with hearing loss are also more likely to be unemployed. The unemployment rate for those with a moderate to severe hearing loss is 15.6 percent (as compared to the current national unemployment rate of 7.6 percent – May 2013). And, individuals with untreated hearing loss can lose as much as $30,000 annually in income (Marketek VIII: 2010). Meanwhile, study on hearing loss from the National Council on Aging found that hearing aid usage can increase earning power by as much as 50 percent.What can contribute to hearing loss?
An increasingly common cause of hearing loss is noise exposure. Noise induced hearing loss affects approximately 15 percent of Americans. In fact, noise exposure is the number one cause of hearing loss! Noise induced hearing loss occurs from prolonged exposure to noise over 85 decibels. A decibel (db) is a unit of measurement used to measure sound intensity and loudness. Decibel measurements are logarithmic, and as a result, every 10 db increase is a 10-fold increase in intensity. Put in perspective, a rustling leaf is about 10 db, while a whisper is 20-30 db. Normal conversations are about 60 db, while washers and dryers can average 70 db or more. The louder the sound source, the shorter the exposure time before hearing damage occurs. Below are some common sound sources and their approximate noise levels in decibels:- Heavy truck passing - 90 decibels
- Lawn mowers- 95 decibels
- Mp3 players- 90-95 decibels @ high volume (can exceed 105 decibels at max volume)
- Movie theater- up to 104 decibels
- Accelerating motorcycle- 110 decibels
- Sports Venue goal- 115 decibels
- Night club- 115 decibels
- Emergency sirens- 130 decibels
- Boom Car stereos- 140 decibels
- Large Rock Concert- 140 decibels (near the stage)
What is the widespread impact of hearing loss?
Hearing loss has an impact well beyond the individual level. Did you know…- 90 percent of children with hearing loss are born to normal hearing parents.
- Research by BHI/Safety BLR shows that approximately 35 million individuals in the United States and Canada have a hearing loss.
- While 95 percent of these individuals could benefit from a hearing aid, only 23 percent actually use a hearing device.
- As a result, untreated hearing loss in the US costs more than $175 billion in lost earnings for those that are hard of hearing. These lost earnings cost the country more than $26 billion in lost revenue from taxes!
- 45 percent of deaf individuals do not graduate from high school and only 5 percent graduate from college.
- 60 percent face either unemployment or severe underemployment.
- Over 50 percent of deaf adults earn less than $25,000 per year.
- 42 percent of deaf adults between 18 to 44 years of age are unemployed.
- Third grade is the average reading level of an individual who graduates from deaf educational programs in the US!