5 Tips For Communicating With the Hearing Impaired

5 Tips For Communicating With the Hearing Impaired

**Strange idea....but try talking TO me, not AT me, there is a big difference. Blasting a radio, and a tv, then calling me from another room....no of course I didn't hear you. duh.**

STOP YELLING AT ME, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I YELLED EVERYTHING AT YOU?

1) Be careful about how you start. Identify what you are about to talk of, and don’t start right away talking about anything on the face of earth. This makes them anticipate what you could be saying and wouldn’t be left guessing as to what you are saying.

2) You know they lip-read. That doesn’t mean you make pronounced lips movement to make him or her understand you better, for that makes it even harder for them to lip-read. That’s because they are habitual of reading normal lip movements, if you alter the natural way, it confuses them. So be easy. Just speak clearly and slowly.

3) Slowly does not mean that you start whispering, it only means just don’t start the verbal rat-a-tat. Whispering is a patronizing gesture and must be avoided. By the same token, do not yell everything you are saying. If there is a confusion, say the same thing using different words so a clearer understanding may be gained.

4) Give due emphasis and pause enough so that the person could ask questions to bridge the communication gap.

5) Emote. Don’t stand their speaking as though you were talking to a wall. Emotions that run on your face indicate what you are saying and are valuable clues for the hearing impaired people to figure things out. It is very important that you make them feel they are one of you, which they certainly are and you will have earned a friend for life. What better return could you ask for being patient and clear in your communication?

~ Lakaya M. Peeples
7/29/09