What barrier might affect an individual's ability to be understood?

An individual's hearing loss significantly impacts their ability to be understood, as it directly affects their ability to receive and process auditory information. When someone has hearing loss, they may not hear words clearly, leading to miscommunication or an inability to respond appropriately in conversations. This barrier can result in frustration for both the individual with the hearing loss and those attempting to communicate with them, as nuances in speech, tone, and context may be lost.

Other factors, such as lack of vocabulary, cultural differences, and speaking too quickly, can also contribute to communication challenges. However, these factors do not have the same direct physiological impact on auditory processing as hearing loss. Individuals with a limited vocabulary may struggle to express themselves, cultural differences may lead to misunderstandings in context or meaning, and speaking too quickly may cause confusion. Nonetheless, hearing loss is a fundamental barrier that hinders the very ability to hear and understand spoken language itself.