Can you hear me now?
And can you help reduce communication barriers for people with hearing loss?
Hearing loss affects billions of people worldwide. More than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss worldwide, nearly 20% of the global population. According to the World Health Organization, that number could rise to 2.5 billion by 2050. Almost half of people older than 75 have hearing loss.
Side note on terms: Don’t use “hearing impaired” but use “a person with hearing loss” or “a Hard of Hearing person.”
I have a personal connection to the topic.
My husband, Kim, has had hearing loss since he was a child, but he didn’t get hearing aids until he was an adult.
It was when a coworker asked him, “Where are you from?”
My husband replied, “I grew up here in the U.S.”
The coworker said, “Then why don’t you speak proper English?”
Ouch.
That stinging question finally motivated him to get hearing aids. He deserved to be treated with respect and wanted to communicate better.
Let’s talk about how we refer to people with hearing loss. You can say, “A person with hearing loss,” or, “A person who is hard of hearing.” Don’t use the term “hearing impaired,” as that can make people with hearing loss feel deficient.
Below are a few tips for reducing communication barriers in-person and online when talking with people with hearing loss.
In-Person Communication:
- Get their attention (say their name)
- Face them, with face well-lit
- Keep your hands away from your face
- Minimize background noise
- Speak clearly, slowly, and distinctly, but naturally
- Rephrase if they don’t understand
- Avoid sudden changes in topic
Online Communication:
- Video ON, Face well-lit, mouth visible
- All MUTE when not speaking
- One person at a time speaks
- Use a good microphone
- Use chat for clarification
- Send an agenda in advance
- Use captioning tools (enable Zoom)
If you host Zoom meetings, you need to enable captioning (which Zoom also calls “Live Transcription”) in the settings of your account. Then, you also need to enable it for each meeting you want to have captions for those with hearing loss (also helpful for people who speak English as a second language). See the 2-minute video below for how to set up your Zoom account to use automated closed captioning. A few simple steps can significantly enhance communication with people who have hearing loss.
