HealthInfo Canterbury
Communicating with someone who can't hear well
Ka whakawhiti kÅrero ki te tangata taringa turi
Here are some ways you can communicate better with a person who's hard of hearing or hearing-impaired.
- Don't 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.
- Don't 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're talking.
- Make sure they're ready to communicate. Hearing-impaired people find it harder to communicate when they're tired or not feeling well.
- Try to make sure there is no, or very little, background noise.
- Speak normally and don't shout.
- Make sure the light isn't shining in the person's eyes – this may make it harder for them to read your cues.
- If the person you're 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're communicating with has a hearing aid but still can't hear you properly, check to see if their hearing aid is in their ear. Also check that it's 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 community speech-language therapists, Canterbury DHB. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2020.
SourcesReview key: HISCD-79694
