Ten Commandments for Friends and Family of the Hearing Impaired Thou shalt not speak from another room. Thou shalt not speak with your back toward the person with a hearing problem. Thou shalt not start speaking and turn away or walk away. Thou shalt not say "Never mind" or "Forget it" when asked to repeat. Thou shalt not speak in competition with something else (running water, TV, radio, stereo, etc.) Thou shalt get the attention of the person with the hearing problem. Thou shalt try to speak face-to-face at all times. Thou shalt remove obstructions while speaking (your hand, etc.). Thou shalt try to speak distinctly. Thou shalt try to be patient.