A Woman With Hearing Aids Kept Asking People to Face Her When They Spoke

The story

Hearing loss isolates people at tables that look full. Laughing late at jokes is a quiet grief.

She asked coworkers to look at her. She sat where light hit faces. She stopped pretending she had heard.

What happened next

HLAA groups are built of people who practice that sentence until it feels less rude than going home empty.

A lesson you can use this week

If you have hearing loss, write your request on a card. If you do not, face people when you talk and skip covering your mouth.

Sources

Hearing Loss Association of America communication tips and member stories.