Tips to Hear and Be Heard
Hearing loss is a growing public health crisis affecting 50 million Americans. Whether you have hearing loss or are speaking with someone who does, here are some helpful strategies.
When speaking to someone with a hearing loss:
- Get the listener’s attention before speaking.
- Face the listener to facilitate speechreading.
- Avoid speaking from another room.
- Speak clearly at a moderate pace, without yelling.
- Don’t chew or cover your mouth while talking.
- Repeat or rephrase as needed; be patient and respectful.
- Don’t use dismissive comments, such as “never mind.”
If you have hearing loss:
- Tell people you have hearing loss.
- Express your listening needs clearly.
- Find a quiet, well-lit spot for conversation.
- Listen actively and look for visual clues.
- Admit it if you miss something—ask questions and don’t bluff.
- Use assistive listening devices or other technology.
- Plan ahead for difficult listening situations.
Common Challenges
Recognize that some situations could pose added difficulties for people with hearing loss, such as:
- Phone calls
- Noisy restaurants or parties
- Dimly lit rooms or strong backlighting
- A speaker’s accent, dialect or facial hair
- Seminars, conferences and classrooms
- Movies, concerts and other performances
- Conversation in a vehicle (as driver or passenger)
- Talking while walking single file
Assistive Technology Can Help
Various hearing assistive technology (HAT) can be used with or without hearing aids or cochlear implants (CIs), including:
- Speech to text apps for smartphones or in-person conversations
- Closed captioning on televisions and online videos
- Captioning devices or open captions in movie theaters
- Live captioning available by advance request for some events
- Free captioned phones available in many states
- Remote microphones and personal listening devices
- Hearing loops, FM, infrared or Wi-Fi audio systems in public venues
