Louise's Story
Hi, I’m Louise, a member of The Residents’ Voice and Influence Panel – and I’m registered Deaf.
I was born hearing but developed severe ear infections as a child, leading to hearing aids and surgery. Growing up, I was bullied, and even today communication can be tiring when people mumble, turn away, or forget to face me.
Did you know? Hearing aids make sounds louder, but they don’t always make speech clearer. That’s why many of us rely on lipreading and subtitles.
Here are my 3 top tips to help communicate with someone who has hearing loss:
Get my attention (a simple wave helps).
Face me (lipreading is key – no need to shout).
Be patient (repeat or rephrase if needed).
If you’ve found this post of interest, you may want to find out more on the RNID website - https://rnid.org.uk/
They provide support and resources for people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.