Tips for Talking with the Hard-of-Hearing

• Face the person who is hard-of-hearing directly, on the same level, whenever possible.
• See that the light is shining on the speaker's face, not in the eyes of the person who is hard-of-hearing.
• Be aware of the possible distortion of sound for the person who is hard-of-hearing. The person may hear you but still have difficulty understanding some words.
• Do not talk from another room; if you must, make sure the person has heard you call; tell the person who you are.
• Remember that everyone hears less and understands less when they are tired or ill.
• Speak in a normal fashion without shouting or elaborately mouthing words. Words spoken a bit more slowly, not run together too rapidly, are clearer than those which are shouted and exaggerated.
• Keep your hands away from your face while talking. If you are eating, chewing, smoking, etc, while talking, your speech will be more difficult to understand.
• If a person has difficulty understanding a particular phrase or word, find a different way of saying the same thing rather than repeating the original words over and over.
• Avoid talking too rapidly or using sentences which are too complex and go on too long. Slow down; pause between sentences or phrases; wait to make sure you have been understood before continuing.
• If you are giving specific information, such as time or place, be sure it is repeated back to you by the person who is hard-of-hearing. Many numbers and words sound alike!
• Avoid sudden change of topic. If the subject has been changed, tell the person who is hard-of-hearing, "We are talking about ________ now."
• The hard-of-hearing person may be sensitive to loud sounds, even though the individual does not hear faint ones. This reduced tolerance for loud sound is often associated with being hard-of-hearing.

Columbus Speech & Hearing Center
4110 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43214