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Join us on Wednesday, September 3rd from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. for a Town Hall Meeting
to provide comments on state and local services for the deaf, hard of
hearing, late deafened and deafblind. This is hosted by Valley Deaf
Related Interagency Team (DRIT) Neighbors and Statewide Interagency
Team (SIT). Click here for details. This is open to the public.
Meetings are FREE and open to anyone from the general
public who has a hearing loss. No registration necessary. Betty Bonvillian is our local contact at (434) 244-0461.
Meetings are on the 1st Wednesday of the month, usually 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
HLA CV cancels the monthly meeting in January, July and August.
Tips for friends of the hard of hearing:
A hearing loss can cause isolation if people with hearing loss and those surrounding them permit it.
· Many people who are hard of hearing wear hearing aids, and many people who are profoundly deaf wear aids or a cochlear implant. Keep in mind that some do not use and cannot benefit from these devices.
· Remember that a hearing aid is just an aid to hearing, an electronic device for amplifying sound. It does not restore normal hearing. It amplifies sound - all sound (noise as well as speech). Consequently, the person with a hearing loss has to learn to filter out the noise and discriminate what is being said. This process takes time, patience, practice and perseverance.
· Get the person's attention first, before speaking.
· Face the person and have the light on your face (in your eyes.)
· Speak up, as clearly and naturally as possible; shouting doesn't help. Do not overemphasize the speech sounds or talk in slow motion.
· Eliminate background noise as much as possible (i.e. TV, radio). Move from the noisiest room to the quieter room.
· Don't hide your mouth with your hand or an object. (Think about trimming that mustache and beard so your lips are easier to read.)
· Rephrase a misunderstood sentence rather than continuing to repeat the same sentence. Change the way you say it, not just volume and pace. (Rephrasing can be just about anything: If you don't hear: It's really cold outside, rephrase it to say: It is so chilly! Or if you don't hear it's 5:30, say half past five.)
· Write down important information and directions to be sure they are understood.
· Have the person with the hearing loss repeat vital facts to be sure there is understanding.
· Be patient with mistakes.
· When traveling in a car, remember listening is difficult. Look at the person to the degree safety allows.
· When going out to dinner, choose a quiet restaurant that is well lit, where the noise is not intolerable. Request a table in a corner, or one away from music speakers. Suggest that the person with hearing loss sit against the wall to minimize background sound.
· Large groups are difficult for people with hearing loss. People interrupt one another, conversation overlaps and it is difficult to locate the person speaking in order to speech read and get visual clues that clarify discussion. Include the person with hearing loss in small groups where communication is less of a strain. When the group is large, take the time to clue the person who is deaf or hard of hearing into the conversation, the punchline, the context; assist the person when topics change.
Conclusion
Remember: a hearing loss can happen to anyone at any point in our lives. It can complicate a variety of everyday experiences. However, the challenges are not insurmountable, and the rewards of good communication are many. Everyone likes to be faced when spoken to, receive undivided attention, and be treated with kindness!
Our thanks go to:
The League for the Hard of Hearing
50 Broadway--6th floor New York, NY 10004 - (917) 305-7730
Also to: Ms. Ilene D. Miner, CSW, ACSW and Mr. Jeff Wax,
CSWR.
We acknowledge ABC Publications for "TIPS" as
found on the League for the Hard of Hearing website.
