My 94-year-old father has severe hearing loss, only slightly improved by expensive hearing aids. If you or anyone you know has profound or severe hearing loss, you know it can be devastating. It's incredibly isolating and, unaccommodated, causes many people to withdraw from life.
My conversations with my father became impossible over the phone. And, they were frustrating in person as it was necessary to speak v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y and quite loudly for him to hear me and understand me. You'd think it was a small gesture, and of course it is, but it's quite awkward speaking loudly for any length of time. We're programmed to avoid using our loud voice unless it's normally appropriate, like cheering at a sporting event. And speaking artificially slowly has a way of disrupting the normal flow of thought and conversation. Of course, we do our best to accommodate our loved ones' needs.
To enable him to hear the television without blasting my stepmother out of the room, my brother got him some quality, dual-ear headphones and, connected to the audio output of their sound bar, my father could raise the volume on his headset without changing the television volume in the room. It might have saved their marriage!
Years ago, I began sending the video and audio of my Zoom calls to a large-screen television and sound system. In a group meeting it allowed everyone to see everyone else clearly via one connection. The computer/camera could be turned to each speaker in the room in their turn or zoomed out to show the whole group. (I'm currently using a Logitech Rally camera which allows me to zoom in and out, pan left and right, and tilt up and down with a remote control.) And, the sound from a quality sound system is much warmer and fuller. This all made the experience more like having those folks in the room with me instead of in a little window from across town.
On our first Zoom call, I made the basic connections with my stepmother. As I explained the Speaker View and Gallery View, how to mute and unmute, where the controls were and so on, my father waited patiently. I wasn't speaking loudly or slowly, just normally to my stepmother.
Then, it happened. I said, "Okay, Dad, can you hear me?" He said, "Yes, I can hear you." I said, "Well, you can hear me but..." and he interrupted me to say, "No, I heard and understood everything you said!" I realized the configuration enhanced my father's ability to hear clearly and participate in a more normal conversation. He could hear me better over Zoom than if I were in the same room, struggling to speak loud and v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.
I can now "Zoom call" my folks, see them on big screen if I like and hear them through good sound. More importantly, my father can hear and converse much more normally.
Zoom for the Hard of Hearing 1.1
Then as Father's Day approached, we decided it would be okay for six of us to gather around a big table outside at their house for lox and bagels. Still, as eager as I was to see my dad in person after so long, I was somewhat dreading the slow-&-loud talking routine. Just before we arrived, it hit me: I'll initiate a Zoom call to their computer, as usual (though this time from my iPhone). Once connected, Dad can wear the headphones at the patio table just outside and we could use the iPhone as a microphone. The video was unneeded. The result? We were all sitting at the table together and talking and Dad could hear and understand just about everything if we spoke anywhere near the iPhone. MUCH better than him straining to hear. MUCH better than we all trying to speak slowly and loudly enough.
Such a small shift in how we were going to celebrate Father's Day made it immensely more enjoyable for all. Look how happy he looks! (He was, believe me.)
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