According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.” If you’re among this number and you’re planning to take a rideshare to downtown in Athens, you may be wondering how you can optimize your experience. We review how below.
Turn on the App’s Assistive Features
Popular rideshare apps that you use to schedule your ride offer assistive features to improve your experience if you have hearing loss. For example, you can get in-app visual and vibrating alerts indicating when your ride has arrived or if your driver has sent you a message. You can contact your chosen rideshare service before making travel arrangements to learn what other features are offered.
Tell Your Driver About Your Communication Preferences
When you get in the vehicle, after confirming your destination, you can let your driver know about your communication preferences and needs. For example, you can request to sit in the front seat so you can turn toward them to read their lips if they talk to you, or you can bring along a tablet that they can use to communicate with you when they’re not driving. You also have the option with some rideshare companies to set your preference to have a conversation or not with your driver in advance.
Ask Them to Turn Off the Radio
Many rideshare drivers play music to set an ambiance or fill the silence. However, it may be challenging for you to hear what they’re saying if there is background music in addition to road noise. It’s perfectly reasonable to ask them to turn off the radio so that you can hear them better when they speak to you.
See Your Audiologist
If you know you have hearing loss but haven’t yet invested in hearing aids, know that they can improve your communication abilities and help you enjoy ridesharing and other life experiences. In addition, they offer many programs that can boost your hearing, including in a vehicle.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with an expert audiologist, call ENT of Athens today.