How to Interact With a Hearing-Impaired Person

Most people with hearing impairments move easily through the world. We can all enjoy good communication if we think a moment before speaking.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• American Sign Language Video
• Hearing Aids
• Hearing-impaired Alerting Systems
• Pencils Or Pens
• Notebooks
• American Sign Language Computer Program
• Amplified Telephones
• Text Telephone

1. Relax and smile. People with a hearing impairment want to make communication easier.

2. Touch a person with a hearing impairment lightly on the arm or shoulder to attract his or her attention.

3. Face the person.

4. Look and speak directly at the hearing-impaired person even if a signing interpreter is present.

5. Realize noisy or distracting environments can hinder communication.

6. Remember many hearing-impaired people rely on speech-reading to help understand what is being said.

7. Shouting or speaking with exaggerated slowness confuses speech-reading.

8. Do nothing that will distort your speech, such as eating, chewing gum or smoking.

9. Pay attention to the hearing-impaired person's reactions. A puzzled look might mean you need to clarify or repeat your remark.

10. Rephrase any remark that is misunderstood.

Tips & Warnings

• The archaic term, "deaf and dumb," while technically accurate for someone who truly cannot hear or speak, should never be used. It is offensive.
• A person with a hearing impairment rightfully resents the handicap being used against him or her - such when someone shields his or her mouth or turns away to cut the hearing-impaired out of the conversation.
• You can always use a notepad and pencil in an emergency.
• Anticipate situations in which a hearing-impaired friend might have problems, such as recognizing the chirping sounds of modern telephones or conversation via an intercom.
• Allow a hearing-impaired person to make his or her own choices. Help communicate alternatives and relay decisions.

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on 6/30/2006 Communicating with a person who has a hearing loss may be difficult, but think how difficult it is to them. If your asked to repeat something more than once, don't blow it off and say "oh never mind," I have heard that one a million times and it hurts my feelings. Honestly, that person really wants to know what you're saying or they wouldn't be asking you so much. Toss out the never mind, and please repeat yourself once more.

on 11/22/2005 One day I went to work as usual and I noticed a new employee at the job site. I also realized he was hard of hearing. I approached him and I said hi. We became really good friends. One day I came to work all irritated and upset. I was talking to that person and when he was talking to me all I did was roll my eyes scoff (I was very rude). I didn't realize that deaf and hard of hearing people are extremely talented at reading your expressions. He knew when I was upset and angry, even when I'm on my period! If you really don't want to be rude, I suggest you talk to them, but don't roll your eyes. They will find it offensive.

on 11/22/2005 When you roll your eyes at someone who is hard of hearing they will know that you're being irritated, they are extremely talented at body expressions. So I really recommended that if you want to roll your eyes, do it in your head.

on 11/22/2005 I've been hearing impaired my whole life and I deal with this often. As someone already stated, please be patient when repeating yourself to someone with a hearing disability. I've dealt with people that have lost patience and have raised their voice in anger or impatience. Remember, however bad you may feel about repeating yourself, people with hearing disabilities feel worse than you.

on 11/22/2005 "Hearing impaired" covers a lot of ground.
There is a big difference between someone who can't hear high notes (so they have trouble with certain sounds of speech, such as "S"), and someone who is deaf. It's like saying that everyone who needs eyeglasses is blind.

I'm in the middle, so I can't tell you any thing about deaf people or their culture. I can tell you about people who wear hearing aids:
Before you start talking, get their attention. A soft touch, say their name, or have your first word be a throwaway. For example, "Hey," pause, look for some gesture (like a small movement of their head) to see if they acknowledge they're listening. Then, continue speaking. Its not a big deal, you just have to remember that if they're not looking at you, they probably have no idea you're talking to them. Unlike normal people, we have to "listen" to hear. I can hear the noise of someone speaking, but when I don't know they're talking to me, it blends into general background noise. Think: "Charlie Brown's teacher". It's because we miss bits of words. If we're concentrating, our brain can fill in the blanks (for example, " I _m pretty s_re you ca_ read thi_ even if it's mi__ing some sounds.")

2. Speaking loudly and slowly is embarrassing. I try to look normal. Relax. I'm perfectly able to let you know if there's anything you need to do to help me hear. If you asked me "Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to hear me?" I would take that as a polite and considerate question.

Some things I've asked people to do:

1. Not to cover their mouths. To make sure I can see their mouth, I ask them to look at me, or look sideways, but don't turn away more than that.

2. To switch seats, so a noise source is behind them, not me.

3. To repeat themselves. If after 2 tries I still have not understood what is being said, I usually tell them what I did hear. By doing this, they only have to repeat the missing word(s). If I still don't get it, they must repeat what they are trying to convey using different words. Occasionally, I will ask people to spell a name or word that is important, so that I get it exactly right.

Be nice, and don't make it a big deal. It's a little inconvenient, and it takes an extra second, but it's pretty normal.