Consider these empowering ideas for living with hearing loss.
Living with hearing loss opens a new world of communication methods and opportunities to connect with others. By learning how to advocate for yourself when you have hearing loss, you help maximize your lifestyle and relationships with others, starting with these tips:
- Let others know your preferred communication methods
- Ask for accommodations when you need them
- Learn about the latest advancements in hearing loss technologies
- Get involved with hearing health organizations
Let’s delve further into these ways to advocate for yourself when you have hearing loss.
- Let others know your preferred communication methods
There are many ways to communicate with hearing loss, and each person has their own preferred methods. Advocating for yourself starts with determining the communication approaches that work best for you, then informing others. Whether you rely on visual cues and lip reading or appreciate written communication, letting others know your preferences can help maintain your connections. You could ask someone to slow down, face you directly, or jot a note down to ensure you heard what they said. The people you’re with will typically be happy to accommodate so that it’s easier for you to hear them, so long as they know how to Remember, there is no one “right” way to communicate when you have hearing loss, so be clear about the method that works best for you.
- Ask for accommodations when you need them
Whether at work, a restaurant, or other public spaces, seeking accommodations that can help make communicating with others easier is another way to advocate for yourself. Consider requesting tools like telephone amplification accessories or a captioned telephone at work, a quiet table at a restaurant, or assistive listening devices, if available, when enjoying museums, theatrical productions, sporting events, and other activities. If having a trusted hearing partner join you on travel excursions would help you feel more comfortable navigating to your destination, think about asking them to come along. Chances are, they’ll be glad you did!
- Learn about the latest advancements in hearing loss technologies
Staying up-to-date on new and emerging hearing loss technologies can help ensure you are informed about the latest advancements that can help make it easier to communicate with others. From Bluetooth connectivity and personal amplifiers to hearing aids and captioned telephones that provide captions of everything your callers say, there are many tools available – and new ones emerging all the time – that you can explore with your audiologist.
- Get involved with hearing loss organizations
Getting involved with a hearing loss organization or related event is a great way to advocate for yourself and others. Inviting friends along with you to connect and educate others, share ideas, and help fund initiatives for people with hearing loss can help empower both you and countless others. There are many informative and inspiring hearing loss events you can attend around the country, including local hearing support group activities, consumer conferences, and HLAA Walk4Hearing events that are sponsored by CapTel.
When it comes to discovering ways advocate for yourself when you have hearing loss, there are many ways to help empower you. Consider using these suggestions or research other ways to support yourself and other people with hearing loss.
Learn more about living with hearing loss on the blog, or explore how CapTel captioning technology can help you handle phone calls with ease.
