You and the person with hearing impairment.Communication with a hearing impaired person need not be difficult.
If you have normal hearing and care about your relationship with a hearing impaired person, then take the time to understand his/her problems and the limitations they bring. You should remember too, that his/her understanding of your conversation depends partly on you.
Accusations that a hearing impaired person hears only what he wants are unjust. They must concentrate in order to pick up information, and they tire easily. Actually he/she hears only what he/she can. When the H.I. person is tired, worried, distracted, ill or made to feel a nuisance, they are less able to hear and understand.
Awareness of the following points will improve your communication and relationship with a person with impaired hearing.
WHAT YOU DO
1. Get their attention. Before you speak, say their name or gently touch their arm. This helps them, to focus their attention and concentrate on your words.
2. Face them. Don't turn or lower your head, this reduces the volume of sound reaching their ears.
3. Be near. Try to be within one metre. Beyond that your voice may be faint and other sounds interfere with hearing.
4. Don't stand in front of a window. Light behind you is distracting and will lessen their ability to see and read your lips.
5. Don't cover your mouth. Anything in front of it, not only hides your lips, it blurs the sound.
6. Be ready to use pencil and paper. If you have an unfamiliar accent or you are not being understood, try writing the message.
HOW YOU SPEAK
7. Speak more slowly but not too slowly. Give them time to assimilate what is being said.
8. Speak clearly. Don't exaggerate. Over-emphasis distorts lip movement.
9. Speak loudly, if necessary. Don't shout. Shouting distorts sounds and is painful to the wearer of a hearing aid.
HOW YOU SAY IT
10. Get to the point. Like a good news story, explain first what, who, when where and how. They must know what you are talking about. This will prevent any misinterpreting of your remarks.
11. Use your face, hands and body. Express your feelings about what you are saying
12. Rephrase your sentence. Don't repeat the same words if you are not being understood.
BACKGROUND INTERFERENCE13. Background noises are confusing for the hearing impaired. Traffic, television, radio and other people talking make it difficult for them to hear. Under these conditions, make a special effort to speak clearly and audibly. At parties, or meetings include them in ongoing conversations. In some situations, it may be necessary to move to a quieter area of the room.
14. A hearing aid doesn't make a person's hearing normal. It makes sounds louder, but not always clearer. It is difficult to separate speech from unwanted sounds, so be patient. Impatience with their listening behaviours will not help. It will only make them tense up and understand less. The more relaxed and accepted they feel, the more they can concentrate.
REMEMBER
The above points can help the person with impaired hearing to keep their rightful place in the mainstream of life. Communication is more than just an exchange of words: it involves two people sharing, and learning from each other.