Hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment (HI)
Hearing impairment (HI) is a disorder in any part of the auditory system which affects the hearing ability, thus interfering the speech and communication abilities. A person with hearing thresholds over 25dB HL can be regarded as having HI, which can be classified into five degrees:
| Mild (26-40 dB) | difficult to identify soft sound such as whispering |
| Moderate (41-55 dB) | unable to hear clearly what others are saying during conversation |
| Moderately severe (56-70 dB) | unable to clearly hear loud noises such as telephone ring |
| Severe (71-90 dB) | can only hear very loud noises and sounds such as shouting |
| Profound (over 90 dB) | difficult to perceive any sound |
- Poor or limited responses to environmental sound and external stimulation
- Looking attentively and intensively at the presenter’s face and mouth when listening
- Misunderstanding of verbal exchanges and frequent repetition are required when following rapid interactions such as group discussions and debates.
- Severe language and articulation problems in learning
- Struggles with understanding the content of videos or audio clips without subtitles
- Confirm the student's preferred mode of communication (e.g., face-to-face, email)
- Speak clearly and slowly without exaggerating mouth movements
- Pause between sentences or phrases to ensure the student has understood before continuing
- Choose quiet environments for discussions to minimise background noise
- Offer pertinent information in writing, such as directions and schedules
- Summarise key points discussed to reinforce understanding
- Sit on the side of the student's better ear allows for clearer sound quality, or opposite the student to enable lip-reading
- Encourage students to sit where they have a clear line of sight
- Ensure proper lighting for students who rely on lip-reading or sign interpretation
- Utilise assistive listening and real-time captioning devices provided by the student (if any)
- Reduce background noise to improve hearing conditions
- Enable real-time captioning for online classes
- Provide lecture materials and subtitles for audio-visual materials before class to aid preparation
- Allow audio/video recordings of lectures for revision
- Discuss special learning and exam arrangements privately with students
- Encourage students to express their needs and preferences regarding accommodations
- Consider flexibility in time and format for assignments and tests that require oral and listening assessments
- Allow alternatives / extended time for exams (recommended by professionals)
- Provide clear written instructions during tests and exams
- Arrange a separate room for exams/tests to minimise distractions if possible
- Adapt grading criteria to focus on content and understanding rather than language proficiency
