When confirming understanding with PWHL (people with hearing loss), avoid yes/no questions, such as “Do you understand?” These questions can be answered with a yes, without revealing whether the person actually understood what you said.
Yes/No questions can also put pressure on the person to say yes, out of politeness, fear, or embarrassment, even if they do not understand. (I’ve done it myself!)
Alternatively, we can do more of the heavy lifting by using observational cues. We can pay attention to body language and facial expressions that may indicate confirmation. We can re-state our key points and use a simple hand signal like a thumbs up or a thumbs down for quick confirmation. We can offer feedback statements after conveying important information such as, “Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can clarify.”
P.S. the audio clip is from the movie “Rush Hour.” Do you know it?
Related clip: Why you shouldn’t call a person with hearing loss from another room