Designing an Accessible and Beautiful Home for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People

Hearing loss, which is the total or partial inability to hear, is a reality millions all over the world live with. In 2019, around 430 million people suffered from disabling hearing loss, and this number may increase to 509 million by 2030. 

Though many live with deafness or are hard of hearing, it can be a challenge to adjust to a life without hearing due to the lack of accommodations, even at home. Design plays a crucial role in making a home more accessible, and making the right choices can improve the lives of homeowners, whether they are hearing or not. 

Here are some elements to pay attention to when designing an accessible and beautiful home for deaf and hard-of-hearing people: 

Open floor plan

Many deaf and hard-of-hearing people rely on their vision for information and communication, so the home should be designed with visibility and space in mind. Deaf or hard-of-hearing people may have a harder time catching someone’s attention from across the room or find difficulty understanding someone using sign language from further away. An open floor plan is the best way to minimize walls and rooms that can act as barriers to gestures and sounds from others in the home. It can help them see and interact with ease, even if they’re communicating with someone in the kitchen all the way from the living room. This type of floor plan also offers more opportunities for experimenting with layouts. For instance, a living room with a U-shape layout can make it easier for them to see everyone in the space, allowing them to easily process sign language or read lips without straining. Since there’s room to accommodate more seating or adjust the furniture, adjustments in an open floor plan are less of a hassle. 

Sound-dampening elements

For those who use hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other hearing technology, background noise can be a distraction and nuisance as they can interfere with the technology. Some of the latest hearing devices are Nuance Audio hearing aid glasses, which use beamforming technology built into the frame to focus on the sounds in front of the wearer. Despite this cutting-edge tech, a home that can’t manage excess noise can make it harder for deaf and hear-of-hearing people to use this device and communicate with others. Designing a home with sound-dampening elements can help keep the extra sounds at bay. Thick carpets and heavy curtains can cut back on noises and echoes in the house. Acoustic panels can also absorb sounds and can be added to walls and ceilings to avoid resonance. You can also consider dual pane windows instead of single pane ones to create a stronger barrier between the home and the outside world. 

Colors and patterns

The home’s interior colors play a huge role in curating ambiance and style, but choosing the right hues and patterns can also make it easier for deaf and hard-of-hearing people to communicate. Bright shades and loud patterns can make it more difficult for them to process visual information, such as someone using sign language to converse with them. Softer, solid, and neutral colors that contrast with skin tones can offer a more pleasant atmosphere and visual clarity and comfort. Soft tones of blue and green can make it easier for deaf and hard-of-hearing people to see someone’s outline and the shape of their hands more clearly. Choosing the appropriate colors can also inform other design choices in the home, creating an aesthetically pleasing design while being accessible to the home’s residents. 

For more design tips, visit Kevin Francis Design for the latest insights, trends, and products.