[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-create-an-inclusive-wedding-for-hearing-impaired-and-deaf-guests\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-create-an-inclusive-wedding-for-hearing-impaired-and-deaf-guests\/","headline":"How to create an inclusive wedding for hearing-impaired and deaf guests","name":"How to create an inclusive wedding for hearing-impaired and deaf guests","description":"Five ways to make your wedding more inclusive of hard-of-hearing or deaf guests","datePublished":"2020-10-22","dateModified":"2020-10-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/#Person","name":"Kirsten Palladino","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/love-in-sign-language-sincerely-media.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/love-in-sign-language-sincerely-media.jpg","height":1333,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-create-an-inclusive-wedding-for-hearing-impaired-and-deaf-guests\/","about":["Planning","Wedding Planning Tools & Tips"],"wordCount":295,"keywords":["deaf","disabilities","hard-of-hearing","hearing impaired","inclusive wedding","inclusivity","special needs","wedding pros"],"articleBody":"To look at me, you might not think anything is wrong. But I’m hearing-impaired. I wear hearing aids in both ears. I hear 9 percent of sounds in one ear and 25 percent of sounds in the other. When I can’t hear what people are saying, I feel isolated and alone. It’s tiring to continue to ask people to repeat themselves so often I just smile and nod because I’m exhausted.When people like me attend events, there are ways you can be accomodating. And since you might not know if a hearing-impaired person is attending your wedding, I recommend you just do these things anyway. Here are five tips to make your wedding more inclusive of hard-of-hearing or deaf guests.1 \/ Wear mics during your vows and have a mic for toasts and speeches. Everyone who came to the wedding desperately wants to hear what is being said, and not everyone speaking is an expert at projecting their voice.2 \/ If you anticipate deaf people (whether they’re invited or their plus-one is deaf), plan for a sign-language interpreter at the altar and at the reception for vows, speeches, performances and announcements from the DJ or band.3 \/ Having a socially distanced event during the pandemic? Offer clear masks to the guests so people who are deaf and hard of hearing can read the lips of everyone else.4 \/ Playing a video during the reception? Add captions so we can enjoy the show too.5 \/ If any hard-of-hearing or deaf guests are attending, make sure to offer them (and their plus-one!) a reserved seat in the front row of the weddingso they don’t miss a single word.photo of Kirsten Ott Palladino by Heidi Harris, photo of two people signing the word love by Sincerely Media"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"How to create an inclusive wedding for hearing-impaired and deaf guests","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-create-an-inclusive-wedding-for-hearing-impaired-and-deaf-guests\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]