Many of us are patient with others who are mentally retarded. But the least recognized and most ubiquitous impairment of all is loss of hearing. Those who have it receive the least consideration. Most people do not comprehend that some among them do not hear well. There are a couple of reasons for the unawareness.
Many people refuse to admit that they are hard of hearing.
They bluff or fake it in groups and conversations, nodding and smiling to cover the fact that they can't hear. When required to respond, they often give an answer to what they guess the other person has said, even though the embarrassment of giving a ludicrous answer can be far greater than that of wearing a hearing aid and asking others to face you and talk more slowly. Another reason for unawareness is that hearing aids are often hardly noticeable, especially if hidden by long hair. Purveyors of hearing aids contribute to the shame of hearing impairment. Some of them advertise that their instruments are so small they can hardly be seen.