"He's too deaf to bother with."
Have you ever felt like making this remark?
If you have you ever been irritated into making this sort of remark about someone with hearing loss, it would probably help you to understand why it is unfair.
Why the problem
It is very sad that people with severe hearing loss can give the impression of being stupid because they don't react normally to what is said to them.
Of course the reason they don't react normally is because they haven't heard. Or perhaps they have only partially heard but missed a keyword - which they often guess at. If they guess wrongly, they don't respond as you would expect, but this is clearly nothing to do with being stupid. It is more likely due to not being sufficiently assertive to keep on asking for things to be repeated more clearly. People with hearing loss can tell when their needs are annoying those around them. So they guess or opt out of conversations which is sad.
How to change your mindset
Just to confirm that having hearing loss is not at all the same as being stupid, think for example of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven who became totally deaf at the age of 32 but still continued composing and went on to create his most magnificent works. Arguably he was a genius, but quite ordinary people with hearing loss have a lot to offer, once they and those around them find a way of communicating effectively.
So try to communicate with people with hearing loss. Start by reading the page on helping interaction with the hearing-impaired.
More common irritations with hearing-impaired people and what to do about them
She says "Speak up" and then, when I do, she says "No need to shout!"
He can always hear when he wants to. He just doesn't concentrate
She doesn't properly adjust, use, or persist with her hearing aid
He's got normal hearing in one ear which ought to be enough
She could always learn lip-reading!
He doesn't really count any more because he's so deaf
Disclaimer: The information on this site is for a lay audience and I cannot be responsible for errors or omissions. The views, strategies, advice and suggestions etc are based on my personal experience and are not necessarily appropriate for anyone else. They should, hopefully, stimulate individuals to develop their own strategies.