Go easy on them

There’s one thing that people could say about my hearing loss that does get to me but in general I try not to stay calm when I get into a situation because I didn’t hear something.

Sometimes I get that look and I feel like an idiot, sometimes I get frustrated because someone will not make themselves heard, sometimes I get nervous because I’ve lost the conversation and if someone asks me something I won’t have a clue what to say and will have to admit that in front of the group. Many times I’ve given someone the wrong impression that I’ve ignored them.

But I always try and give the person the benefit of the doubt. It’s not easy to know how to act around someone with a hearing loss or some other kind of disability.

I’d be the same if I saw someone in a wheel chair struggling to get into a shop. I don’t know anyone in a wheel chair so I don’t have first hand experience of how to behave around them. Do they want me to push their chair into the shop? Should I just treat them the same as the other customers? Do I get a shop assistant to help them? I don’t know. Would they be offended if I asked them if they needed help?

So it’s the same with the people who refuse to speak up – maybe they are shy of talking louder. And the people who SHOUT when you ask them to repeat what they said – they’re probably just trying to be helpful.  Would you like them to write it down for you? What that offend you?

People just don’t know how to react to people they don’t understand. Go easy on them.