Suggestions for Communication with
Hearing Impaired Persons

Always face the person with a hearing impairment and obtain his/her attention
before speaking. Seeing your face provides people with hearing impairments with
visual cues which assist in speech discrimination.

Speak as clearly as possible. Try not to exaggerate or over-articulate your speech.
A person with a hearing impairment is accustomed to watching a speaker's lips.
This helps to offset some of the distortion a hearing impairment may cause.

Use a slow, even rate of speech when speaking to a person with a hearing
impairment. Speaking more slowly allows time to mentally fill in any gaps in the
signal.

If a person with a hearing impairment utilizes a hearing aid, a normal
conversation level should be sufficient when in quiet environments. However,
asking the hearing impaired listener if there is a need to raise/lower your voice is
always a good idea.

Keep all obstructions away from your face while talking (for example, hands,
pencils, cigarettes, gum, eyeglass frames, newspapers.) Remember that people
with hearing impairments rely on visual cues from your lips and face. Also, if
you're eating or chewing, smoking, smiling, etc., while talking, your speech will be
more difficult to understand.

When a person with a hearing impairment asks for a repetition, don't repeat the
original phrase over and over, rephrase the sentence.

When changing the topic of conversation, cue the person with a hearing
impairment of the shift. For example: "We are now talking about ________" or
"Mary just mentioned _______."

Eliminate background noise whenever possible. This will improve the signal to
noise ratio, for example: speaker's voice: T.V. or stereo.

Good lighting without glare is essential for seeing the speaker's face. Dim lighting
may interfere with lip reading.
TLC’s Family Hearing Center
301.738.1415
2092 Gaither Road, Suite 100
Rockville, MD 20850
www.ttlc.org
Suggestions for Communication with
Hearing Impaired Persons
(continues)
(continued)

At a dining table, no centerpiece should be allowed to obstruct the person's field
of vision.

When dining out, call ahead and make reservations or ask to be seated in a quiet
corner away from the kitchen, busing stations and traffic.

In a car/restaurant/outside, encourage the person with a hearing impairment to
position himself/herself with the better ear/hearing aid directed towards the
speaker.

When going to the theater/church/synagogue, plan in advance so that the person
with a hearing impairment can see and hear as well as possible. Help the person
investigate various seating arrangements to find allowing him/her to both see and
hear well. Arrive early enough to allow for seating in one of these areas. Check to
see if the theater/church/synagogue has an infrared system or any type of assistive
device for hearing help.

Don't try to communicate from a different or distant room. Only initiate
conversation when you are face-to-face and have elicited the person's attention.
TLC’s Family Hearing Center
301.738.1415
2092 Gaither Road, Suite 100
Rockville, MD 20850
www.ttlc.org