Common difficulties

Going out with friends and family as you get older is really important, but when you’re Deaf or Hard of Hearing, going out on these experiences can be really hard. There are lots of things that make going out to shopping centres with or without people hard, such as: 

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS:

• Many Deaf or Hard of Hearing people experience communication barriers and breakdowns when interacting with shop assistants, customer service people, and security guards. This can happen when: 

  • Staff speak too quickly 

  • Staff turn away when speaking to the customer

  • Staff cover their mouths 

  • Background noise makes hearing more difficult

  • Staff are unfamiliar with Deaf Awareness practices 

This leads to Deaf or Hard of Hearing customers struggling to seek assistance, ask questions, return items or understand important information about purchases. 

There are so many times where staff and other people in the shopping centres expect us to ask all the questions, even though Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can feel very uncomfortable, anxious, and shy asking questions, because they feel like they can’t communicate as well as hearing people. All of the interactions below can make Deaf or Hard of Hearing people feel anxious and scared:

• Going to the checkout can create several communication challenges and breakdowns, such as: 

  • Not hearing questions from cashiers 

  • Missing information about discounts or loyalty programs

  • Difficulty understanding payment instructions

  • Staff speaking while looking at the screen rather than looking at the customer 

All of these instances can lead to misunderstandings and frustrations for both the customer and staff. 

• Customer service desks often (always) rely on spoken communication, which comes with lots of difficulties, such as: 

  • Explaining problems with purchases 

  • Reporting lost property 

  • Asking for directions 

  • Making complaints 

  • Requesting assistance 

If these staff are not trained in deaf awareness, communication barriers become stressful and time-consuming.

• Some stores rely on telephone calls as a form of communication for things like: 

  • Booking services 

  • Product enquiries 

  • Customer support 

  • Click and collect updates 

Deaf or Hard of Hearing customers may face barriers if alternative communication methods (texting, emailing, or live chats) are not available. 

• Many important messages in shopping centres are delivered verbally instead of visually, some of these examples include: 

  • Queue instructions 

  • Event announcements

  • Changes to store locations 

  • Emergency information 

Without clear visual displays, deaf shoppers may miss out on information that hearing people can access automatically.

SAFETY AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION:

• Shopping centres frequently use loudspeakers to make announcements to be able to communicate important information. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people might miss:

  • Emergency evacuation announcements

  • Store closing announcements

  • Lost child notifications 

  • Special event information

  • Promotional announcements

• Many emergency systems rely heavily on sound, which Deaf or Hard of Hearing people might miss. These challenges include: 

  • Not hearing fire alarms

  • Missing evacuation instructions 

  • Not hearing security announcements/alarms 

  • Difficulty understanding verbal directions during emergencies

This can create stress and anxiety during an unexpected time. Sometimes, when people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing go shopping, shopping centres tend to create anxiety, which makes them not want to go independently or go with other people. But if they are exposed to it several times, they will most likely get more comfortable, they won't feel as nervous, and they’ll want to participate in social outings and want to go out alone, they’ll want to communicate and not stress about having a breakdown with a staff member or anything like that. Sometimes,s all that a deaf and hard-of-hearing individual needs is confidence and bravery. 

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SOCIAL PARTICIPATION:

• Shopping is often a social activity, but communication barriers make Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing people excluded. This can happen when: 

  • Group conversations are hard to follow 

  • Friends or family move ahead while talking 

  • Information is shared verbally without visual support 

  • Social interactions become tiring

Over time, these events and social gatherings become less interesting and enjoyable for the person with the hearing loss, which can reduce their confidence and make them not want to go out anymore. 

LISTENING FATIGUE:

• Background noise and echoes are a massive issue in shopping centres; there is always so much going on, which creates all this chaos. Some of this chaos noise includes: 

• Large crowds

• Different music is playing in different stores

• Food court noise 

• Children playing 

• Echoes from large open spaces

For people with hearing aids or cochlear implants, this can make speech difficult to understand and can cause listening fatigue

• One of the most common challenges with Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals is listening fatigue. Deaf or Hard of Hearing people often experience: 

  • Lip read 

  • Watch facial expressions

  • Focus intensely on conversations 

  • Filter background noise 

  • Use hearing technologies for extended periods of time

After spending several hours in a busy shopping mall, this constant concentration can be mentally exhausting. Something that picks up on shopping centres being more than just places to buy things is that they are places where people socialise, develop independence, access services, participate in community life, and build confidence. When communication barriers exist, Deaf people may avoid these spaces or rely more heavily on others.