How To Talk To HoH (Hard of Hearing) People

The issue is NOT volume (it is easy to crank up the volume on a hearing aid), but discrimination. There is a term, SNR, which means signal-to-noise-ratio. Your voice needs to be louder than the surrounding noise and that's all.

• DO NOT SHOUT. This is the most common problem. Shouting make your voice hoarse and harder to discriminate. Speak loud and clear. As long as you are louder than the surrounding noise, you are fine.
  
  
• MOVE YOUR LIP. Most hearing-impaired people lip-read. No mumbling, beard, moustache, and other obstacles in front of your mouth.
  
  
• DO NOT SPEAK INTO THE HEARING AIDS. Your voice will be static (electric feedback from the wind [from your mouth] hitting the hearing aid). Speak in front of the person so you can be lip-readed. The optimal distance is about 3-7 feet in front of the person (like seating across a table). Again, move your lip.
  
  
• Speak alittle slower, but not too slow. The average person speaks 160 words a minute. Speak about 120-140 words a minutes. If you speak too slowly, your words get blurred. Also speak normally - DO NOT BREAK YOUR SENTENCES. It is easier to figure out a whole sentence than just part of it.
  
  
• If applicable, use your hands to describe things. Even if you do NOT know sign language, visible description helps. E.g. if you are talking about tv and a tv is in the room, point to it.
  
  
• PAUSE EVERY NOW AND THEN. This gives the other person time to catch up. If a person hears 50%, then that person is trying to figure out the missing words. It ... like ... every ... words. [Figured this out?] Again move your lip. It is easier to figure out "It ...s like h...r...ng every ...th...r words." If you talk forever, the person may be trying to figure out the 3rd sentence while you are on the 5th sentence.
  
  
• If appropriate, consider buying a small blackboard that uses a water-erasable magic marker. Then you can use it to write key words if needed.
  
  

For tips on communicating with deaf, see