Any activity that permits, facilitates, maintains communication is important for the hard of hearing. So there are some attitudes which need to be modified :

Advice to those with normal hearing: - There is no point in shouting at a deaf person. Face him or her, speak normally and articulate. - Accept that a deaf person may need things repeated. Think of the effort on his or her part, which is tiring. - Help the person to understand by any means available. - Don’t pretend to understand if you don’t. - Reach out to deaf people. Don’t avoid them. Keep up communication and ensure that it is a pleasure.

Advice to deaf people - Don’t be ashamed of being deaf. - Keep your self-confidence, don’t feel sorry for yourself. - Ask people to repeat ; avoid misunderstandings. - Don’t stand apart ; keep your place amongst others. - Make communicating a pleasure, try to talk (in a distinct voice, without shouting). - Work hard to learn lip-reading: some people do it so well that they hardly seem deaf at all. - Use any means available to promote communication : hearing aids, lip-reading, Internet, facial expression, writing, gestures… - Meet other deaf people now and again to discuss problems, get advice, information about courses…

Associations