How to survive holiday gatherings with hearing problems
When you have a hearing problem, you may be apprehensive about group holiday gatherings. You may also feel overwhelmed and anxious. It’s perfectly normal!
But be confident: there are solutions and suggestions.
A few tips to help you prepare for your family gatherings
Indeed, it can be exhausting when you constantly have to ask someone to repeat themselves, and it can be over-stimulating when several conversations follow one another.
Here’s a list of tips – some for the hearing-impaired and some for those who have friends or family members with hearing problems to help them better enjoy these beautiful moments.
4 tips for the hearing-impaired
1- Announce yourself. People don’t necessarily know you’re hard of hearing, and everyone needs reminders. If you’re not comfortable doing this in person, send a friendly text to the host before you leave to ask if they can limit the background music or keep a good light to help you read lips better.
2- Reduce your exposure to noisy events. Keeping up a conversation at a party can be exhausting. But, more often than not, the host will understand if you leave a little early because you’re tired.
3- Be strategic. If you’re attending a dinner party, think about the best place to sit to improve communication. For example, the end seat or the corner seat. This allows you to see most faces in case you need to lip-read.
4- Be prepared. Be ready to let the person know that you are hard of hearing and that they may need to repeat themselves. When you meet someone new, one of the first things to say is that you’re hard of hearing. This helps set the tone for the conversation, and most people try to speak louder and more clearly.
Some people don’t feel comfortable disclosing their hearing loss, and that’s okay! If this is the case for you, try to position yourself in the best place to facilitate your conversations.
Three tips for your friends and family
1- Face forward. When talking to someone with a hearing impairment, it’s important to face them as you speak. Try not to turn your face away, as it is more difficult to hear and read your lips.
2- Don’t yell. Whether from across the room or just in general, don’t shout. Normal volume and clear words are usually all you need to aim for. Some hearing-impaired people may need a few different adaptations, but speaking clearly is the best place to start.
3- Pay attention. If you think the room is noisy and you’re struggling to stay attentive, chances are the hard-of-hearing person is struggling even more. If you notice that the environment is becoming too noisy, perhaps ask the host to try a few adjustments, such as lowering the music volume.
Try to keep conversations to one at a time (this can be difficult in a large group), and check with the hearing-impaired person if he or she needs any accommodations.
