effect of the speaker on communications involving people with hearing loss

We are all aware that some people are easier to understand than others. Characteristics and behaviors that may be unnoticed by or a minor annoyance to a normally hearing person may be an effective roadblock to understanding by a person with a hearing loss. These characteristics include the person's speaking manner, facial visibility, topic management, and general demeanor.

Speaking Manner

One obviously important feature is the manner of the person's speech. Some people seem oblivious to the fact that their listener doesn't hear well, and they rattle on at high speed and low volume, practically guaranteeing that no communication will happen. Others talk ...... very ..... slowly .... and .. ex-ag-ger- ate each syllable in a misguided attempt to promote understanding. While the hard of hearing, late deafened, or oral deaf person may appreciate the thought and the effort, she doesn't appreciate the resulting communications difficulties.

So how should one speak when communicating with a person who has a hearing loss? In general, he best way is to speak clearly and distinctly, with special attention given to enunciating the consonants. The speaking pace should be normal or perhaps a little slower than normal. Your best guide, of course, is to ask the person to whom you are speaking. Most people with hearing loss know very well what works best for them.

A related issue is that of accents. As our world becomes smaller and our country more heterogeneous, we meet more people for whom English is not the first language. Some hard of hearing, late deafened, and oral deaf people have increased difficulty understanding people with strong accents, while others seem not to notice. Whatever the case, the best strategy remains to speak clearly and distinctly, and to ask the listener what is most effective for them.

Facial Visibility

I use the term "facial visibility" to include a variety of characteristics that are of assistance to people using speech reading. The most obvious assistance is afforded by ensuring that the person with hearing loss can clearly see your mouth. So the first requirement is for the listener to be aware that you are speaking to him and to be looking at you. Speaking to a person with a hearing loss when his back is turned or when he is looking down, or in any circumstance other than when he is focusing on you, is likely to result in failed communication. The requirement that they focus on your face is so strong that hard of hearing, late deafened, and oral deaf women often report that their concentration on a man's face is sometimes mistaken for a "come-on". So there are two lessons here. First, be aware that the listener must be looking directly at you. Second, don't misinterpret that attention.

Now that you have your listener's attention, you must be sure that nothing impedes his ability to speech read. This means that he should have an unobstructed view of your mouth, and you should be using your mouth only for speech. Holding something in front of your mouth, chewing gum, or eating while speaking will reduce communication. Also, move speech to the front of your mouth and provide sufficient lip and tongue movement that your listener can "see" the sounds. Be careful not to overdo this expression, but be aware of the importance of mouth movement, especially if you tend not to move your mouth a lot when you speak. Finally, for the men, facial hair must be trimmed so that the lips are clearly visible.

I use the term "facial visibility" rather than "lip visibility" for the same reason that the term "speech reading" has replaced the older term "lip reading". While the lips are most important, other facial features assist your listener to understand you. Any emotional expression that's visible on your face will aid communication, so be sure to provide those clues.

Topic Management

In the course of a conversation, normally hearing people don't hear every sound, but they get enough of the sounds that they can piece together the words, sentences, and concepts. People with hearing loss do the same thing, but with much less raw data (sound information). They are, therefore much more likely to misunderstand what is being said. When a person knows the topic being discussed, she can correctly piece together sentences and concepts with far less raw data than if she doesn't know the topic. So, be sure that your listener knows the topic, and be especially careful to let her know when the topic changes.

General Demeanor

Your general demeanor can hugely contribute to or detract from successful communication. I'm sure you've noticed that things are easier for you if you're relaxed. Remember that test you blew even though you really knew the material, just because you got nervous? Many people with hearing loss face a similar situation during every conversation they have. It may not be apparent to you, but they are almost certainly working very hard to understand what you are saying. If your behavior increases their anxiety, it will certainly diminish their understanding.

So, be friendly, flexible, and patient. They may ask you to move to a different location, to slow down, or to repeat something. They may ask you multiple times. If they really get stuck, or if it's easily confusable things like numbers, they may ask you to write it down. How you respond to these requests will help determine the outcome of your conversation. Does your response help them to relax, or does it increase their anxiety? Remember that test?