Everybody celebrates Thanksgiving a little differently. Whether you enjoy a meal at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille or a lively gathering at home, you want every person to feel included in the holiday cheer—regardless of their hearing loss.
If you’re planning a larger get-together, here are a few tips to help everyone communicate more easily.
1. Speak at a Natural Pace
It’s common for people to slow down, overenunciate or raise the volume of their speech when talking to someone with hearing loss. Unfortunately, doing so can actually hinder speech comprehension or even come across as angry. Instead, speak at your natural pace and repeat or rephrase yourself when necessary.
2. Don’t Speak From Another Room
Visual cues like lip movements and body language are an essential part of effective communication. When you talk to someone from another room, they can’t use those cues to help them understand speech. Instead, walk into a room and get their attention before speaking.
3. Minimize Background Noise
Distracting sounds like clanging pots, overlapping conversations and the Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV can make speech comprehension challenging. Do your best to minimize those distractions to ensure everyone can participate. Try the following:
- Mute the TV and turn on closed captioning
- Wait to wash dishes until after the event
- Turn music off or down
- Ask people to take turns speaking
4. Offer Your Help
It can be stressful to attend a big event when you have hearing loss, and it can make all the difference to have a friend to help. Ask your friend or loved one if there’s anything you can do to make their Thanksgiving more enjoyable. They may not need anything. If that’s the case, take them at their word and just try to communicate effectively. If they ask for things like a specific spot at the table or no background music, do your best to accommodate.
Learning these tips isn’t just thoughtful for Thanksgiving, but it can help you interact effectively with the nearly 20% of people in the world with hearing loss. For more information on communication strategies or to schedule a hearing test for yourself or a loved one, contact Today’s Hearing today.