Creative Ways to do Stuff!

How to Tell Someone You're Deaf (And other deafness stuff...)

So my hearing is quite severely damaged so I'm not entirely deaf but I still have to drop hints that I can barely hear you because simply going straight to the point and saying "Sorry, I'm deaf." can get really awkward, especially for the person you're talking to... So here's some creative ways to drop these hints!

1. Get a blank sticker and write something on it so that whoever reads it will understand that you're deaf. Make it colourful - be experimental! Stick it to your shirt or jacket afterwards. This can also be done with a badge.
2. If you know ASL (American Sign Language) or BSL (British Sign Language), maybe even cued speech, then just go for it! Start signing away and they'll get the hint almost immediately.
3. The most common thing people do when they can't hear is point to their ears, or maybe even point and shake your head at the same time. This is a good alternative if you don't know sign language.

And since it says "And other deafness stuff" in the title, I bring you things deaf people may hear (metaphorically) or see on a daily basis.

1. People speaking as loud as they can in hopes we can hear them.
2. People saying "I know sign language too!" and flailing their arms about. It's basically an equivalent to seeing someone speak Japanese, going over to them, saying "I can speak Japanese too!" and then just making weird noises.
3. People literally asking us questions via voice, even if they know we can't hear them.
4. People seeing us sign or cue speech then shouting "OH MY GOD A DEAF PERSON!!". Is it really necessary? It's like shouting "EMO" at someone who has a fringe and wears dark clothing. It gets really old and needs to stop.