09/20/2025
👂🏼Do you know someone who is deaf or hard of hearing?
🦻Do you get frustrated when trying to communicate with them?
🦻Have your intentions been good but tactics didn’t work?
🦻Or maybe, you are deaf/hard of hearing yourself but unsure how to tell people to help you.
Here are 6 things NOT to do:
❌Shouting: Louder is not always better!
❌Saying "Never mind." This may end up leaving them feeling insulted and not good enough.
❌Repeating yourself like a broken record
❌Interrupting others in a group conversation
❌Excluding or ignoring them: Being rude never helps any situation. (This includes taking over tasks for them as if they are not capable)
❌Exaggerating facial cues or sounds. Please speak at a normal volume and pace.
Instead, try these:
âś…Establish eye contact before speaking.
âś…Ask them to repeat what they did hear.
âś…Rephrase with different words: Sometimes certain words/sounds are more difficult to understand
âś…Facilitate lipreading when possible. (Avoid talking while chewing food, turn your face toward them, keep facial hair neat)
âś…Enunciate when communicating
âś…Use gestures, point or visual language if you both know some! Especially helpful if the topic has changed or you're making a request.
These tips will be especially important as we head into the holiday season and have large gatherings! Were you surprised by any of these? Let me know! And don't forget to share this to help educate! ...
