Any relationship won’t work without communication, and that’s a well known fact. Imagine if you started dating someone who communicated in a different manner than you. Dating someone who is deaf, or even trying to hook up with deaf people happens all the time, so don’t let it scare you. If you do have a personal or love interest in someone who is hard of hearing, we’ve put together a few simple tips to help you out.
Lighting Matters
Being able to read lips is of utmost importance for people with hearing disabilities. If you frequent somewhere with ample lighting, you are doing them a huge communication favor and they will have a much easier time understanding you. Don’t make the date difficult by picking a destination that has little or no lighting, or you will be fighting an uphill battle.
Understand Your Dates Communication Patterns
Don’t ever assume your date can read lips or use sign language with 100% understanding of your messaging. In fact, like most people these days, you probably didn’t even speak on the phone prior to the date, especially if you met on any of the casual hook up apps we recommend. Before you venture out into public, take steps to make communication as simple as humanly possible. Learn their communication patterns, preferences, and cater to them. It doesn’t matter which one it is, but if you are mindful of this, you’ll be setting yourself up for success more often than not.
Don’t Focus on Their Hearing Loss
Asking someone about their hearing loss is like asking someone how they got a speech impediment, a mole on their face, or an unsightly birthmark on their bodies. It’s just not good conversation and it’s not what makes them a person. It’s only a small part of their DNA as a person, so get to know them and their interests and you’ll have a much easier time on this encounter. Steer very clear of asking about it or making the hearing issue an uncomfortable topic.
Study Sign Language
If you were going to hang out with a Cuban Milf, you’d probably bring a few lines of Spanish to the date, am I right? The same theory of being cute and prepared goes for dating someone with a hearing issue. Not everyone will know sign language, but if you learn a few key phrases and add them to your communication arsenal, more often than not you’ll find yourself making a better conversation than if you didn’t spend 15 minutes on Google learning them. Try common words like “bathroom,” “yes,” and “no.” Then, build on from there. You don’t need to master sign language, but knowing a bit will make things easier.
Be Yourself
This is important in any dating situation, but the learning curve of dating someone who is deaf may be more difficult. It may be a different style of date than other dates you’ve been on, but be patient, and do your best in communicating your thoughts and try not to get frustrated if they don’t always come across clearly.
Heeding to these five pieces of advice will get you a long way in life, whether you are simply trying to be romantic with a deaf person, or more so, start dating someone who is deaf or hard at hearing.