|
This month commemorates the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It is a time to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and diversity of individuals with disabilities, as well as to advocate for equality and inclusion. Our churches strive to include all people and often miss a group that too often sitting in silence wanting to be included. The person stands in their spot and proudly (arrogantly?) announces, "I don’t need a mic, I can speak loud enough so everyone can hear me." Here's the truth, "No you can't," and a question, "How would you know?" You cannot look at any person and know they have hearing loss. Here are a few facts about hearing loss: • Hearing loss is invisible. • Hearing loss is isolating. • Hearing aids DO NOT restore hearing. • Hearing loss is mentally and physically exhausting. • Hearing loss is also a processing loss. • Many people with hearing loss have yet to admit/realize they have it. On average people take 7 years after noticing difficulty before seeking help. Those that have are still often embarrassed to ask for accommodations. Those who make such proclamations as listed above make a boatload of assumptions. They assume they stay at the same heightened volume as when they start. They don't. They assume their voice is carried equally to all parts of the room. It's not. They assume their turning from one side to the other while speaking includes everyone. It doesn't, in fact most often it only makes it worse. When you choose not to use the microphone you’re thinking of your discomfort with using a mic instead of your audience. You believe what you have to say is important enough to speak up and still you’ve just assured that a good group of people won’t hear or understand anything you say. In a time when many gatherings are being recorded and live streamed, by not using the microphone you’ve just eliminated another potentially large part of your audience. Furthermore, in an age of technology many auditoriums have T-Coil systems that send a direct signal to hearing devices from the sound system, by not using the microphone you eliminate this demographic of your ever shrinking audience as well. When you choose not to use a mic you now must take responsibility for understanding all the acoustic idiosyncrasies of the room, unique features that the people who installed the sound system took into consideration and you're likely unaware. As leaders we are often given the opportunity to speak in front of groups and often not in the best acoustical environments. All of us as speakers can make similar assumptions as those listed above abandoning a wide portion of our audience. So in a month where we celebrate and encourage inclusion for all, next time you’re at a gathering with a microphone available – use it! Helpful hints when using a microphone: • Think of others - speak up. • Project as if you don’t have a mic, the sound person can make adjustments. • Get close to the microphone and stay there. If it’s hand held, perhaps even rest it on your chin. • Don’t talk too fast. When you talk fast the echo of the amplification distorts your message. You don’t have to speak slow, just be deliberate. Leave space at the end of your sentences. • It’s great to be animated, use facial expressions, raising and lowering of eyebrows, body mannerisms and gestures to enhance your message – still, keep the microphone near your mouth. On behalf of all of us with hearing loss, thanks for including us! ~by John Murphy
|
