General communication guidelines

• Maintain eye contact at all times.
• Face the person when you are talking.
• Speak clearly and at a natural pace.
• Slow down if you are a fast speaker.
• Be patient if asked to repeat.
• Avoid background noise, especially outdoors.
• Keep it simple and straightforward.
• Remember, people with a hearing loss will take a wee bit longer to process the information.
• Try rephrasing with different words that have the same meaning.

Be mindful of the environment

• Ensure plenty of light in the room.
• Do not stand in front of a window, as it will be impossible for people who are Lipreaders to see what you are saying.
• When you are outside, stay near the person who has a hearing loss so that they can hear what you are saying.
• Have a pen and paper handy just in case you have to write down anything.
• When writing something down, do not write and talk at the same time.
• Do not walk and talk at the same time, as this might be difficult for people with a hearing loss to know what you are saying.

Avoid these communication barriers

• Do not cover your mouth.
• Do not wear scarves or high collars, as this is a barrier to effective communication.
• Do not eat and talk at the same time.
• Don’t shout.
• Don’t turn your head away when you are talking.
• Don’t talk behind a newspaper or book.
• Don’t over-accentuate your words, as this is more difficult to understand.

Supportive communication habits

• Facial expressions can help when communicating.
• Gestures are also helpful.
• If you change the topic of the conversation, let them know.
• Use fingerspelling only if the other person understands this skill.
• Remember, hearing aids do not give a person one hundred per cent hearing.
• Many words look the same, and also sound the same, which can lead to confusion.
• Give the person time to process what you’ve said.
• Don’t say “it doesn’t matter”, “it’s not important” or “I will tell you after” as this is very hurtful to someone who is trying to make out what you are saying.