How to make family gatherings more hearing-friendly
Family gatherings should be a time of connection and joy. Here are a few practical tips to ensure your loved ones feel included and can share in the celebration.
Published 01/12/2025,
Updated 01/12/2025
2 min read
Reviewed by HearCanada editorial team
Hearing aidsTips and tricksHearing health
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Inclusive family events
Creating a safe space for people with hearing aids
Gathering with family and friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and with a few simple adjustments, can become more inclusive for loved ones experiencing hearing difficulties. From casual celebrations and family dinners, to special occasions and seasonal festivities, hearing-friendly family and social events can be planned ahead to ensure all your guests feel comfortable, at ease, and included in every moment.
Reducing unnecessary noise and setting up environments so that people can communicate more closely and face to face will always help.
Hearing care professional I. Walbrohel recommends establishing an environment where guests who wear hearing aids feel safe to express any discomfort, and where family members are open and responsive to the individual’s needs.
5 tips on how to plan a hearing-friendly event
How can I create an inclusive family get-together?
To create an enjoyable and welcoming environment for relatives with hearing difficulties, you’ll need to designate a quiet location for your event, use visual cues, and regularly check in with your guests to support their comfort and engagement. Consider choosing a quiet space, using helpful visual cues, and staying connected with your guests to support their comfort and full participation.
Here’s how to design a memorable event for all family members and create a sense of love and connection that will last long after your quality time together.
- 1.
Choose a quiet location if possible
Opt for spaces that minimize background noise, such as your home or a quiet community centre. If it’s possible, try to avoid crowded restaurants or areas where the noise can be overwhelming. Avoid rooms with a lot of reverberation; instead, choose spaces with better acoustics, and those with sound-absorbing elements like carpets, curtains, and soft furnishings. - 2.
Encourage hearing assistance
Encourage guests who wear hearing aids to bring them along. Let them know the gathering could get noisy and their hearing devices will help them participate in conversations. - 3.
Use visual cues
Including visual elements, like banners or signs, with important information that can help your relatives navigate your social gathering. This can include written menus or schedules for activities to make sure everyone stays connected and included, no matter their hearing preferences or needs.
Throughout the event, check in with your guests to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has the chance to participate fully. Be flexible and ready to accommodate changes so every guest can enjoy the event.
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4. Check in with your guests
5. encourage guests to face one another during conversations
This allows for lip-reading and makes it easier to pick up on non-verbal cues, enhancing overall communication. When guests face one another, it’s easier to connect through both conversation and non-verbal cues, making every moment together more meaningful.
Hearing-friendly seasonal events
How to have a hearing-friendly holiday season
The holiday season is often filled with family gatherings, celebrations and quality time with those you love. You can create inclusive family gatherings for your guests to boost their hearing potential; all it takes is a little extra attention to simple strategies that will help them feel included and engaged1.
Interactive activities are a great way to include your guests in the fun and encourage that all-important connection. Think of planning activities that create opportunities to connect and engage, such as games that revolve around group participation. Trivia, charades or craft stations are always warmly welcomed, and set the scene for a great family catch-up.
Interactive activities are a great way to include your guests in the fun and encourage that all-important connection. Think of planning activities that create opportunities to connect and engage, such as games that revolve around group participation. Trivia, charades or craft stations are always warmly welcomed, and set the scene for a great family catch-up.
Group of friends celebrating a birthday, wearing hearing aids
Eating out with friends who wear hearing aids
Restaurant tips for loved ones with hearing aids
Dining out with friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures; a chance to enjoy conversation and slow down time, even if only for a little while.
But restaurants and cafes can be noisy spaces. There are often hard floors, which reflect rather than absorb sounds, background music, clattering of cutlery and chatter throughout the room. Imagine what this feels like for your friends who are navigating changes in their hearing health2.
The Hearing Journal2 recommends these restaurant tips for hearing aid users to make dining out a more pleasant and comfortable experience.
But restaurants and cafes can be noisy spaces. There are often hard floors, which reflect rather than absorb sounds, background music, clattering of cutlery and chatter throughout the room. Imagine what this feels like for your friends who are navigating changes in their hearing health2.
The Hearing Journal2 recommends these restaurant tips for hearing aid users to make dining out a more pleasant and comfortable experience.
- 1.
Research quiet restaurants
Read reviews or ask around for recommendations of places to eat out that are in a quiet location or where they can accommodate your needs. - 2.
Request a quiet table
When booking, mention that one of the guests wears hearing aids and that you would appreciate a quiet spot. It’s a good idea to confirm this on arrival. Corner tables or those located against a wall can help with hearing, as well as being seated away from large group tables and the kitchen entrance. - 3.
Check the venue first
Venues that feature carpet, curtains, cushioned seats, or fabric tablecloths can help absorb sound3. - 4.
Speak up
If the music is too loud or your table location is making hearing difficult, speak to the staff to better accommodate your hearing needs. - 5.
Ask for specials in writing
A verbal description of specials can be hard for most people to hear clearly – ask the waiter if they can speak slowly or request in advance that the specials are available in print. - 6.
Avoid busy times
Restaurants can have quiet periods so consider eating outside of peak times.
Creating hearing-friendly family event
Whether it is a family dinner, a social gathering or a night out on the town, keeping these tips in mind for inclusive family gatherings will help make sure your time together is memorable and truly enjoyed by everyone.
Sources:
1. Hear Canada: Creating a hearing friendly holiday celebration for your loved ones: (5 December 2024): https://www.hearcanada.com/blog/hearing-friendly-holiday-celebrations/
2. The Hearing Journal: Dining out for people with hearing loss. The Hearing Journal (16 January 2020): https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2020/01000/dining_out_for_people_with_hearing_loss.12.aspx
3. National Council on Aging. Managing Hearing Loss in Social Settings https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/managing-hearing-loss-in-social-settings/
1. Hear Canada: Creating a hearing friendly holiday celebration for your loved ones: (5 December 2024): https://www.hearcanada.com/blog/hearing-friendly-holiday-celebrations/
2. The Hearing Journal: Dining out for people with hearing loss. The Hearing Journal (16 January 2020): https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2020/01000/dining_out_for_people_with_hearing_loss.12.aspx
3. National Council on Aging. Managing Hearing Loss in Social Settings https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/managing-hearing-loss-in-social-settings/
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