Description
Persons with hearing problems are often misunderstood, as their disability is not obvious. They have difficulty keeping up with conversations in large gatherings.
People simply seem to be mumbling and you have to ask them to repeat themselves. This often leads to a feeling of being left out.
Persons suffering from hearing loss can find it difficult to communicate with others. The list below gives some advice on how to communicate successfully with people with hearing loss.
- Eye contact is key for them so they can follow what you are saying
- It is a good thing to be seated or stay where you can see each other faces. This makes it easier to read lips. When talking in crowds, summarize many discussions so that they are short and to the point.
- Always get rid of a book or newspaper when speaking to people with hearing problems
- It’s always good to speak slowly; talking too fast may cause the person with hearing problems to lose conversation. Also make sure your pronunciation is right.
- Be calm when speaking, shouting may be even worse for them
- Always explain a joke you are laughing about, when with a person with a hearing loss.
- Avoid noise in the background, such as music, TV etc. when talking.
