TIPS FOR TALKING TO THE HARD OF HEARING

Face the hard of hearing person

directly, and on the same level with him/her, whenever possible.

Never talk from another room. Be sure to get the person's attention before you speak.

Speak in a normal fashion without shouting. See that the light is not shining in the eyes of the hard of hearing person.

If you are eating, chewing, smoking, etc., while talking, your speech will be more difficult to understand.

Reduce background noises when carrying on conversations.

Recognize that hard of hearing people hear and understand less when they are tired or ill.

Keep your hands away from your face while talking.

If a person has difficulty understanding something, find a different way of saying the same thing rather than repeating the original words over and over.