It’s October, and Halloween is just around the bend. This fun, spooky holiday is exciting for both children and adults. Who doesn’t like dressing up and filling up buckets with yummy treats? However, for those who have a hearing impairment, Halloween can prove to be quite the challenge, especially at night. Nonetheless, you can still have a fantastic Halloween, just check out these tips that can help you, or a loved one, enjoy Halloween with hearing loss.

• To help raise awareness, dress up as a famous person that has a hearing impairment. This can be a great conversation starter, and it can also educate others as well. Education is needed to help break the stigmas and negative perceptions of hearing loss. So you can do your part by dressing up as Helen Keller, Derrick Coleman, Rush Limbaugh, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

• Be mindful of masks, as they can make it difficult or impossible to read lips. If a mask must be worn, ensure that it can be removed easily. A better option would be face painting, which still allows for a facial transformation and will make it easier to lip read.

• Try on costumes ahead of time if hearing aids are worn to ensure that they fit correctly. Masks and hats can dislodge a hearing aid, or obstruct the microphone, so make sure the costume works well with the hearing aid. This way if adjustments are needed, there is time to do so.

• A flashlight is required if trick or treating goes into the night. Depending on where you live, the streets may not be illuminated enough to see a person’s mouth or hands and this can make communication difficult or impossible. Besides the standard safety reasons, using a flashlight will be needed to illuminate a person’s mouth or hands while they are signing.

• Before you head out, make sure you have everything you need. The last thing that is wanted or needed on a night of fun is not having a way to communicate because a flashlight was forgotten, or the batteries for the hearing aids died mid-way through the night. Take the time to double and triple check that you have everything together, and that everything works as it should before you head out.