08/20/2026
"Did you know that approximately 15% of people aged 18 and older report some difficulty with hearing? Hearing loss is common, and as a result, breakdowns in back-and-forth communication are common too. Here are some tips for supporting people who are hard of hearing in conversation:
-Get the person's attention before engaging in conversation. They may not always recognize when you have started speaking.
-Always face your body toward the listener, making sure your face is unobstructed.
-If a listener does not understand your message, rephrase your sentence rather than repeating it.
-Give the listener more time to process and understand your message by pausing between each sentence.
If you have questions about communicating with individuals who are hard of hearing, contact an audiologist or speech-language pathologist!"