About 35 million people in this country have some kind of hearing loss, and that number is increasing. Accommodating hearing impaired people can help them feel more comfortable in public. If you're involved with a church and its decision-making board, looking for ways to reach out to this community is important. Whether you already have a deaf member in your church or have several members who are aging and experiencing hearing loss, you might consider making the place more welcoming with these tips.
Get a Hearing Loop Installed
The people with hearing loss in your congregation may have already attempted their own solutions for listening to sermons and going to events. However, you can provide increased support with a hearing loop inside the church. A hearing loop is a system wherein microphones and other equipment pieces are set up around a space so that the hearing impaired can hear things better. Once a system is installed, it will wirelessly transfer audio to hearing devices in the space, provided the devices have a "telecoil" or "T" setting, as many do.
Hearing loop systems cut out a lot of extra noise so hearing-impaired persons get a cleaner, clearer sound coming into their hearing devices. This will work fantastically if your church has movie nights or special guest speakers; the enhanced sound coming through a hearing device will be appreciated. A good hearing loop installer will ensure your church meets all federal, local, and state standards so that the technology can be put into practice without problems.
Teach Sign Language
Even if you have someone who performs sign language duties during worship services, you might want to open the church up for weekly sign language lessons for all members. Not only can those with better hearing learn to communicate better with others, but hearing-impaired persons can teach or have fellowship with the people who are learning. Overall, lessons can lead to an environment where everyone can experience increased understanding and more rewarding relationships within the church.
Ask for Feedback
It's impossible for you to think of everything that could be helpful, particularly if you aren't hearing impaired yourself. For that reason, you should ask those with hearing loss what they think of church programs and support. If you don't yet have a sizable hearing impaired population yet, reach out to hearing-related local organizations for ideas about improving church life for people with trouble hearing.
Supporting the hearing impaired community with these suggestions can be an enriching experience. Your church should soon see the benefits of being receptive to the different groups that make up a congregation.