Communication strategies to help navigate hearing loss
Tips for your friends, family, and other social contacts
- I speak in the same room as the person with the hearing problem.
- I get a person’s a attention before starting to speak (e.g. I call their name or touch tap on the shoulder)
- I bring myself closer to him/her and face him/her to facilitate speechreading.
- I speak clearly and slowly, but I don’t exaggerate my speech.
- I don’t yell.
- I use different words if the ones I initially used were not understood.
- I turn off the noise around us (television, radio, etc.).
- I gesture naturally and avoid hiding my lips behind my fingers, pens, etc.
- I indicate what I want to discuss, and I also indicate when I’m changing subject.
- I ask questions.
Tips for people who are hearing-impaired
- I wear my hearing aids.
- I explain that I have problems understanding speech.
- I place myself opposite the person speaking to me and I lipread. I watch the person.
- I turn off the noise around me (television, radio, etc.).
- I ensure that there’s good lighting on the face of the person with whom I’m speaking.
- I find out what subject we’re discussing.
- At a meeting, I ask people to speak one at a time
- I ask people to speak slowly.
- I ask questions.
Find a printable version here: Tips for Facilitating Communication.
