Communicating Better With Someone Who Has Hearing Loss
If you’re looking for help communicating better with someone who has hearing loss, this is the blog for you! Good communication is about more than just speaking louder. For people with hearing loss, conversations can be exhausting, frustrating and isolating when others don’t know how to adapt. Small changes in the way we speak and interact can make communication less stressful, more respectful and more inclusive.
Whether you’re talking with a friend or family member, a co-worker or a customer, these ten tips can help create more meaningful and comfortable conversations.
10 Tips for Communicating Better
1. Don’t say “it doesn’t matter”
People with hearing loss are often unintentionally left out of conversations, especially in social groups. It can be frustrating for both parties when hearing is difficult. Keep calm and don’t say “it doesn’t matter” if someone can’t hear you. Try the tips below first and make sure that the person you’re talking to knows they’re valued and not a nuisance.
2. Get their attention
Talking while someone is looking away or focused on something else may mean that they miss the beginning of the conversation. Saying their name, gently waving, lightly tapping their shoulder or arm (if appropriate) and making eye contact before you start talking are helpful ways you can draw their attention.
3. Face the person directly
Many people with hearing loss rely partly on lip-reading and facial expressions. By turning away, covering your mouth or talking while in another room, you may be making communication more difficult for something with hearing loss. By keeping your face visible, maintaining eye contact and standing in good lighting, you are helping the person with hearing loss.
4. Speak clearly, not loudly
One of the biggest misconceptions is that shouting helps. In reality, louder does not mean clearer and shouting can distort words and make lip reading more difficult. Instead, speak at a natural pace, enunciate clearly, pause between important points and use normal facial expressions.
5. Reduce background noise
Noisy backgrounds can make conversations extremely difficult. If you’re in a busy restaurant or pub, try moving to a quieter spot away from kitchens, large noisy groups and speakers. If you’re in a group, move to speak one-to-one with someone with hearing loss instead of shouting across a crowded room. Turn down background if you can like the radio, television and music.
6. Rephrase, don’t repeat
If someone hasn’t heard you the first time don’t just repeat the same sentence louder. Try using different wording, shortening the sentence or breaking the information into smaller parts. Different words may be easier to hear and understand.
7. Be patient
Listening with hearing loss can require intense concentration. Listening fatigue is common, especially in groups or noisy environments. If someone is struggling to hear you, give them extra time to respond. Don’t interrupt or rush them and avoid finishing their sentence unless asked. Try not to get frustrated when repeating or rephrasing, the listener may already feel stressed or embarrassed. Patience can help conversations feel collaborative and more relaxed.
8. Write it down
If someone is really struggling, it can sometimes be easier to use a visual aid. Text messages, notes or phone apps, captions during video calls, gestures and facial expressions can all help communication. If you’re in a busy pub with no option of moving to somewhere quieter, talking via message may be the best option. Check with the person you’re talking to, how would they prefer to communicate?
9. Use assistive devices and tools
A hearing aid wearer may have accessories such as a remote microphone or TV connector that can help them hear. Microphones can be worn by the person speaking to stream sound to the hearing aids which can be helpful in certain situations.
Relay
Another useful aid for talking to someone on the telephone with hearing loss is Relay UK. This excellent service helps deaf, speech-impaired and hearing people communicate over the phone. You can download the app to use on your mobile, tablet or PC. You type what you’d like to say and read the replies in real time while an assistant relays the conversation. We’ve answered lots of calls via Relay at the clinic and have found it be a really useful service! You can find more information about Relay here.
10. Ask them what helps
It’s okay to ask the person you’re speaking to how you can help. They may ask you to sit on their “good side” if they have hearing loss in one ear. Or they may ask you to write things down. If you know that someone is deaf and may struggle to hear you, asking their preference shows that you care and that their ability to communicate is important to you.
