September is Deaf Awareness Month

Between normal hearing and profound hearing loss there are varying degrees of hearing loss, usually classified as mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe.

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 48 million adults report some degree of hearing loss. Different degrees of hearing loss affect individuals differently. For example, a child with a “mild” hearing loss will have significant problems in the classroom so that his or her hearing loss would be considered “educationally handicapping.”

Hearing loss is measured in decibels (dB). Generally speaking, normal hearing is from 0 to 25 dB (15 dB for children), a mild hearing loss from 26-40, moderate from 41-55, moderately severe from 56-70, severe from 71-85, and profound over 85. Normal speech reaches the ear at approximately 45 dB when the speaker is 3 feet from the listener. This level (45 dB) is judged comfortably loud by persons with normal hearing. A person with a mild hearing loss finds 45 dB to be “soft.”

What Is It Like to Be Deaf?

Communication and community are a hugely important part of life. Deaf people are cut-off from the usual forms of communicating – a shout of warning, hearing your name at the doctors, over-hearing information in the street, or a passing word with a stranger.

It means deaf people can feel isolated and can find it hard to get information or help in an emergency. That’s part of the reason that deaf people are twice as likely as hearing people to be affected by depression, anxiety, and similar problems.

As a deaf person you rely on your eyes for clues to what people are saying or feeling, and you rely on other clues like vibrations in floors to be aware of what is going on around you.

Often other people will change the way they act towards you, because they are irritated that they have to repeat themselves, or are frustrated that you don’t understand them.

Helping a Lip-reader

For deaf people with limited hearing, or lip-reading skills, speaking clearly will help. Don’t be tempted to speak slowly, loudly or exaggerate your mouth movements, because that just makes things harder for the person trying to understand you. Try really hard not to turn or look away while you are talking, that sounds obvious, but in conversation we do it all the time.

Speak clearly in whole sentences, without using abbreviations. Be prepared to repeat yourself if the lip-reader doesn’t understand you first time. Even the best lip-readers only catch less than half of the words which are said to them, natural facial expressions and hand gestures can really help.

Stand so that any bright light, the sun, or a window are not behind you, because when they are behind you it’s much harder to see your face and concentrate on your lips.

Helping Someone Who is Hard of Hearing

Try to keep background noise down, and move somewhere quieter if necessary. Be patient and repeat yourself if necessary. Just as with lip-readers, you should speak clearly and naturally, without shouting or going slowly.

Standing the same distance away as you would normally do in conversation also helps the other person to take in your facial expression and body language, which also helps with better understanding.

The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing website and Sign Health have an assortment of quality resources including history, educational material, and events for the whole family to help provide awareness during Deaf Awareness Month.

Copy partially provided by Sign Health.