Misconceptions about people with hearing loss are very common. Some of these are stereotypes while others are just incorrect assumptions. This false information is so spread that it gets very easy to believe the information that is being fed to people.
In order to talk to people with hearing loss, I am sure all of us have tried sign language with a stranger but before we o that, it is important to know the facts about these people and to negate the information that is falsely spread.
The best audiology doctor in Pakistan says that the list of myths and misconceptions keeps on going. So let’s get straight to the point and discuss the myths and misconceptions spread around.
1- Talking in a louder voice makes it easy for hearing loss people understand better
Increasing your volume is never the solution to this problem as this can create more confusion. Clarity is much more important as increasing the volume or raising it can impact the quality of the voice.
To get clarity on the voice, people with residual hearing can require sound to be transmitted from a microphone directly to their ears through an assistive listening system.
Sitting closer, however, is a great way to make the other person understand. This works in a great way as the person who is hard of hearing can read the lips and try to make sense of the words someone is uttering. Remember that yelling or over-articulating never helps and makes it much more difficult for the other person to understand.
2- People with hearing loss are slow and less likely to become successful
People with hearing loss do have similar intelligence to the people that do not suffer from this condition. People that are suffering from hearing loss that is untreated might respond in inappropriately because they might not hear what you say to them.
Some people with hearing loss can speak and on the other hand, some cannot. Some that can hear might not be able to speak correctly. This can be frustrating for some people when other people talk about how a certain person is speaking.
It must be kept in mind that the person that is dealing with hearing loss is fully capable of working a full-time job. It is always a good idea to ask the person suffering from such issues what accommodation might suit them.
So, stop believing in this misconception that people suffering from hearing loss cannot work a job or can’t be successful.
3- Hearing Loss Implants can restore hearing to normal
A person does not obtain “normal” hearing by wearing hearing devices or using any equipment. These although aid in making the sound louder and clearer.
These work just like glasses that make your vision clearer but dont fix your eyesight. These helping aids can work differently for different people. Some can hear very clear voices and others might still need help despite wearing hearing aids.
A lot of times people with hearing loss can get what you say by listening intently but a lot of times they miss the important information. Also, it gets tiring to listen intently every time.
4- All of the people with hearing loss use sign language
Hearing loss occurs in a spectrum that can be mild to very serious. Communication also depends on a number of factors like the degree of hearing loss, whether an implant is used or not, and also the age at which the hearing loss has occurred.
A lot of people with hearing loss do not use sign language but it is still important for communication purposes. Sign language also varies for different countries. But to think that people with hearing loss always use sign language isn’t true. This is also a misconception that needs to be negated.
5- People with hearing loss are usually pushy and rude
Now, this is one of the biggest misconceptions about people with hearing loss that they are pushy and rude. There is no truth in this. This is believed by a lot of people as people that have hearing issues do not listen and respond to you as a normal person does. This is because they cannot listen to you not because they are rude or pushy.
Peopel with hearing loss also push themselves close to the speakers so that they can hear better. This is also misunderstood by a lot of people and they take these mannerisms as being pushy or rude.
Conclusion
Hearing loss is a serious condition that must e handled with care. Some of the myths and misconceptions about this condition that are spread are believed by people worldwide but by reading the above-mentioned misconceptions, hopefully, you will be able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.
