For many people who have difficulty hearing, the past year has presented additional communication challenges as wearing masks has become common practice while in public. Our audiologists have put together this handout to help educate on how we can all be more effective communicators while masked.
How do face masks affect communication?
- Face masks lower the volume of speech. Research shows that cloth and surgical masks reduce the clarity of speech and lower it by about 5 decibels (dB). This effect isstronger when a person is wearing an N95 medical mask, which can lower speech by about 12 dB.
- Face masks can lower the clarity of speech, causing works to sound "garbled." It may be harder for a person to hear consonant sounds like "f," "s," "sh" and "th."
- Face masks remove lip reading clues and other facial expressions that are typically helpful for people with hearing loss.
- Face masks may make wearing behind-the-ear haring aids uncomfortable.
- Face shields, social distancing and plastic barriers further muffle or reduce sound.
6 tips for communicating while wearing a mask
- 1. Reduce any background noise in the room. Talk a bit louder than you normally would so your voice carries through the mask, but do not shout.
- 2. Speak slowly and clearly. Use greater enunciation when speaking. Speaking slowly makes it easier for the person you're communicating with to process what you're saying and gives them a chance to ask for clarification.
- 3. Pause often to make sure you are being understood. Try to rephrase what you said using different words for clarification or write down the important points.
- 4. Use your hands and body language while you talk. Nod your head and use your eyebrows to communicate. This can help overcome the limitations of not seeing facial expressions clearly. Consider using a portable hearing aid amplifier.
- 6. If obtainable, clear or transparent masks can help with lip reading or conveying facial expressions.
- 5. Speak directly at the other person; do not talk while walking or looking away.
