The holiday season is rapidly approaching which means gathering with friends and family to celebrate, enjoying holiday music, and attending parties! It can also mean difficulty understanding conversations for those with hearing loss. When you gather this year, keep these helpful communication strategies in mind to facilitate the conversation:
- Ensure you have the attention of the person you are talking to by calling their name or tapping their shoulder.
- Try to position the person with hearing loss so that their back is towards the majority of the sound creating spatial separation between the target speaker and the background noise.
- Eye contact is important to maintain so that your conversation partner has access to visual cues.
- When someone asks “What?” try rephrasing what you said so that they have more context of the conversation.
- Reduce background noise when possible by adding soft fabrics or turning down the music at a gathering.
Gathering with loved ones over the holidays is the most common way to celebrate and it is important to be as inclusive of those with hearing loss as possible. We hope this are helpful tips and we wish you the happiest of holidays!