Assume that others remember that you have hearing loss:  as a PWHL (person with hearing loss), expect that you will have to tell people more than once about your hearing loss and your communication needs. People will forget that you have hearing loss. We’re human, and human beings forget. Also, people are more focused on what they are saying than how they are saying it.

Arrive late, when the party is in full swing: a better strategy is to arrive early. You’ll get a chance to talk to the host when you arrive early at a party. Then the host can introduce you to new guests as they arrive. Other people arriving early might be in the same boat as you. The hard part about “breaking in” at a party where you don’t know people is that people tend to socialize with people they already know. But if you’re early, most people don’t yet have a friend to greet.

Bluff your way through conversations: everyone with hearing loss bluffs at times. I have never met a PWHL who didn’t admit to bluffing. But if bluffing becomes your go-to strategy, people will think you are not paying attention or not interested. You are better off disclosing your hearing loss and telling others what they can do to support you.

Say “pardon?” every time you can’t hear:  if “pardon?” is your main clarification strategy, you aren’t giving the other person any information about what they can do to make things better. Get specific. For example: “I heard the first part about your dog eating the pizza but missed the rest. What did you say after that?”

Related post: Introverts are more impacted by hearing loss