If you can’t hear everything that’s being said, joining a friendly lipreading class can give you skills to help you communicate, and you can pick up tips from people in a similar position to you.

Lipreading classes are designed to give you the confidence and skills to help communicate better.

What to expect

Lipreading classes are taught by a qualified teacher. They are informal and you can go at your own pace. The teacher will demonstrate the different shapes that sounds make on the lips so that you can identify them. They will also explain how to fill in the gaps of speech that you can’t hear, and how to use clues from the context of the conversation.

It’s an ideal way to meet people in a similar to you. You can share experiences and pick up lots of tips and practical information to help you cope with your hearing loss. If you are unable to go to a class, you can practise lipreading at home thanks to the website lipreading practice.