HealthInfo Canterbury
Communicating with someone who cannot hear well
Ka whakawhiti kÅrero ki te tangata taringa turi
Here are some ways you can communicate better with a person who is hard of hearing or hearing-impaired.
- Do not start talking until you are right in front of the person, are close to them and have their attention.
- Make sure they see you coming, otherwise you may startle them.
- Face them directly and try to be on the same level as them.
- Do not eat, chew or smoke while you are talking to someone who is hearing impaired. It will make it harder for them to understand you.
- Keep your hands away from your face while you are talking.
- Make sure they are ready to communicate. Hearing-impaired people find it harder to communicate when they are tired or not feeling well.
- Try to make sure there is no, or very little background noise.
- Speak normally and do not shout.
- Make sure the light is not shining in the person's eyes. This may make it harder for them to read your cues.
- If the person you are talking to finds it difficult to understand, try to find a different way of saying the same thing.
- Use simple, short sentences.
- Write things down if you need to.
- Allow enough time to communicate without rushing. Being in a rush will add to everyone's stress and make it hard to communicate well.
If the person you are communicating with has a hearing aid but still cannot hear you properly, check to see if their hearing aid is in their ear. Also check that it is turned on and has a working battery. If all these things are OK, find out when the person last had their hearing checked. It may be time to get it checked again.
Communicating with a deaf person
Communicating with a deaf person is very similar to communicating with someone who is hard of hearing. Use all the strategies above.
Use as many other methods of communication as possible, including body language and facial expressions.
You may also find this dictionary of sign language useful.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- New Zealand Relay
A telephone relay service for people who are deaf, hearing impaired, deaf-blind or speech impaired.
Written by speech-language therapists, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2023.
SourcesReview key: HISCD-79694
