Lipreading Mom

As you can see in photo the background, there is a Christmas tree. It is the holiday season. For those of us who are deaf or hard of hearing, it can be a joyous time as for everyone, but sometimes it can be stressful and even lonely. Communication during the holidays is so important, and it may be difficult for those of us who can’t hear.

If you know someone who is deaf or hard of hearing in your family, in your workplace, in your community, and you are inviting them to a holiday gathering or you are having a workplace party, take this as an opportunity to make the communication as inclusive as possible. I’ll give you three tips on how to do that.

Tip One: Keep the Noise Down

First, make sure that you eliminate some of the background noise. Easier said than done, such as a holiday party. So find a quiet corner. Make sure that there is a wall behind the person who is deaf or hard of hearing because sound travels, and you want it to kind of stop with the wall.

Tip Two: Get Our Attention

Second, make sure that the person that you have the attention of the person who whom you are speaking. This could be as simple as if you’re walking up to them and they don’t hear you from behind you, just gently tap them on the shoulder to get their attention, and they’ll look at you.

Tip Three: Repeat or Rephrase as Necessary

If a person can’t understand or hear what you said the first time, make sure that you take the time to repeat or rephrase what you are saying. This will make a lot of difference for those of us who can’t hear and also to help us feel included at your gatherings, at your holiday events and just out in the community.

You can find more communication tips on the Lipreading Mom YouTube channel and on Deafinitely Talking podcast on Spotify.

Happy holidays to all of you.