What is Hard of Hearing?
Hard of hearing is a broad term that encompasses a broad range of hearing levels. Someone may be born hard of hearing, or it may be acquired through illness, injury, or environmental factors. Hearing levels can fluctuate significantly, and each person experiences unique symptoms.
Depending on the type of hearing loss and when it was discovered, people may use various adaptive technologies. For example, a child might receive a cochlear implant or be taught to sign, while an adult might choose hearing aids. These situations are highly personal.
Referring to People Who are Hard of Hearing
While this article uses person-first language, many people prefer identity first (e.g., a hard of hearing person). Since hearing is a major sense, being hard of hearing can feel like a core part of how they experience the world. It’s best to ask which option someone prefers.
Much like blindness, there is also a distinct subculture for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This difference is typically denoted by whether the letters are capitalized. A capital ‘d’ in deaf or two capital ‘h’s in hard of hearing indicate someone identifies in that subculture.
Please also note that it is never appropriate to imply a deficit when discussing someone’s hearing. Terms like hearing impaired are generally considered offensive.
Creating an Accessible Environment for People Who Are Hard of Hearing
Enable Closed Captioning Whenever Possible
Closed captioning is a fantastic option for many people who are hard of hearing and can help people with other conditions as well. Most pre-recorded media can have closed captions enabled, whether it’s a Star Trek episode or a YouTube video.
Many live streaming platforms also have options to provide closed captioning, but the option must be enabled. These options may or may not use artificial intelligence, but recent advances mean they are a solid option to investigate.
While live captioning is also an option, having a team do it may incur a cost.
Provide Written Versions of Important Information
Information access is paramount for every organization member, and written documents are more reliable than word of mouth. Conveying important information in writing also minimizes the chance it will be missed, especially for someone who is hard of hearing.
Written agendas can be one option for helping someone during a meeting. By laying out what’s happening and when, someone who is hard of hearing is better prepared to follow along with other cues.
Additionally, having someone take meeting minutes and make those available can fill in the gaps left by an agenda. If you don’t want to put who has won what award in an agenda so the announcement is a surprise; this is a good option to cover the gap.
Be Mindful of Noise Levels
Every person who is hard of hearing experiences the condition differently. Some people have general loss, while others experience challenges with specific decibel ranges. Generally, however, people who are hard of hearing benefit from a less noisy environment.
While designing a chapter meeting space to completely moderate noise levels is often impractical, options like insisting on certain noise levels when someone is speaking or adjusting a sound system can be helpful.
Enable Sightlines
Sightlines are hypothetical lines from the eye to a given point. In a business meeting, for example, you want to ensure everyone has a sightline to the presentation. Someone who is hard of hearing may rely on the visuals of a presentation more than a typical person, so providing designated seating may be a great option.
While sightlines may also support someone who reads lips, it’s best not to assume they have this specific skill. Reading lips is a challenging skill to learn, and there are not many solid programs to teach it.
Incorporate Assistive Technology
Some people who are hard of hearing use assistive technology as part of their daily lives. Some of this may be medically prescribed or it can be purchased off the open market. However, if someone asks to use technology like this, it’s best to be open to that discussion.
For example, someone who is hard of hearing might bring an assistive listening device (there are many types). For many of them, the speaker or meeting leader would need to wear a small microphone near their collar to provide the best possible sound quality. This type of non-obtrusive device can allow real-time participation.
Venues may also offer a hearing enhancement system upon request. If you know someone who might benefit, it’s best to set this up in advance and familiarize yourself (or a designated volunteer) with how to use the system.
Feel like this guide is missing something? Let us know at sfcoa@sfi.org.
Want to know more about accessible communication? Check out Accessible Communication 101.