Interactions demand a lot of concentration, effort, and compassion despite the additional problem of hearing loss. Communicating with hearing impaired patients gets tricky when there is background noise or when individuals communicate too swiftly. So, how to communicate with a hearing impaired person?

Thing to do before Communicating with Hearing Impaired Person

However, a few things that you can do to make it easier for people to communicate when they have hearing loss, whether they are you, a loved one, a friend, or a colleague.

Someone who suffers from trouble hearing is not being rude or ignorant, either. Although they have damaged hearing, the remainder of their personality, including their expertise, etiquette, and other traits, are in an excellent state. It is inappropriate to make light of, giggle at, be angered at, humiliate, or feel pity for someone who has hearing loss.

A hearing-impaired person needs civility, compassion, and interaction. Consider how you would like to be treated before treating someone who has hearing loss. Furthermore, how to deal with a person with hearing impairment is something that everyone should know. Among the most demoralizing things that ever happened to me—speaking as someone who has had hearing loss for a long time—was watching others remark, “Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” I cared about it!

Also Read: What are the Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss?

When someone speaks, in addition to what is heard, cues can also be gleaned from what is seen. These hints support and add to one another, making it easier for us to follow the dialogue. For those who have hearing loss, spoken visual cues are crucial. The simplicity with which these visual cues can be followed may be determined by simple acts on your part as the hearing person.

Multiple Ways to Communicate with a Hearing Impaired Person

1) Catch the Eye

The very first aspect of the communication strategies for hearing impaired person is to catch their attention. Whenever you speak, get the listener’s interests by, for instance, mentioning his or her name. Come close to the individual if they can hear the dialogue out of one ear than the other. To get their focus, try lightly caressing the listener’s hand, arm, or shoulder. These straightforward signals can help the person with hearing loss be able to listen and not miss the beginning of the dialog.

2) Make an Eye Contact

Face the hearing-impaired individual for communicating with hearing impaired patients. Establish eye contact. The information given through your body language and facial expressions are crucial. For instance, by observing a person’s facial expressions or body posture, you can “see” their exhilaration, delight, bewilderment, or dissatisfaction.

3) Keep Hands Away from the Face

Attempt to maintain your arms off your body when speaking. Whilst also making your face prominent, you will speak more clearly and enable the listener to utilize those visual signals.

The majority of respondents can also sharpen their comprehension by “speech reading,” or observing the speaker’s face. Enhancing language ability through speech reading. It’s possible to see a lot of difficult-to-hear sounds. For example, the sound /s/ is very difficult to hear but easily speech-read. It is important not to exaggerate your talking, talk with food in your mouth or chew gum when talking to a person with hearing loss. Remember that thick mustaches and beards can also conceal your lips and appearance.

4) Talk Normally

Speak clearly without going overboard. You don’t have to yell. The words are truly distorted when shouted. Try not to mumble; even for those with normal hearing, this is quite difficult to comprehend. Speak normally—neither too quickly nor too slowly. Instead of speaking slowly, employ pauses to give the listener time to comprehend what is being said. When changing topics, give hints or just say, “New topic.”

5) Instead of Repeating, Rephrase

Rephrase whatever you stated if necessary if the audience is having trouble comprehending. Try again later with a different approach if they are still having trouble. Use many words that have the same meaning. For instance: “I’m heading to the supermarket.” Once more then try again. “I’m heading to the grocery store,” It’s possible that if they didn’t grasp the sentences the first time, they won’t understand them again. Try to rephrase it as a result. Another choice is to just repeat the sentence or term that was misunderstood after asking what was unclear. Simply repeat the phrase “grocery store” if, for instance, that is what was misunderstood.

6) Reduce Ambient Noise When Speaking

Talking about how to communicate with a hearing impaired person, make an effort to muffle ambient sounds. TV and radio should be turned off. Get away from the point of the disturbance and into a calm area. Request for a seat free of the kitchen, service stations, or big gatherings when dining out or arranging restaurant reservations.

7) Proper Illumination is Crucial

It’s crucial to have adequate lighting on your appearance since speechreading can help someone who has trouble hearing. Sit in a well-lit area when you are at a restaurant or other social event so that people can see your appearance more clearly. The speaker’s face could cast shadows due to poor lighting. On the other hand, avoid sitting in a position where there is strong backlighting, such as through a window, as this will make it harder to see the bright light.

8) Text or use an application to convert spoken to written language

You can speak on a smartphone by downloading one of the many apps available. Additionally, make your sentences visible on the screen so that the individual who has hearing loss may read them. The Dragon app is one of these. Texting is another effective way to enhance communication.

Conclusion

If the user uses hearing aids that have been appropriately set, many of these issues can be alleviated. With the help of our guide to how to communicate with a hearing impaired person, you can get in touch with reputable and professional  hearing specialists in your area if you or a loved one requires a hearing test. Give us a call or book an appointment with us to understand better.