You know the scene. The speaker strides to the front of the room, sees the microphone sitting there ready to go, and waves it off with a confident smile.
A few heads nod. Most people stay quiet. And just like that, a chunk of the audience has been locked out of the conversation.
Microphones aren't a sign of weakness or a crutch for people who can't project. They're an accessibility tool, and if one's available, you should be using it.
One in six Australians currently live with hearing loss, and that number is expected to rise to one in four by 2050. About a quarter of Australian workers experience tinnitus, with over half a million dealing with it constantly.
That's not a small group in the back corner. That's a significant portion of any audience you're likely to speak to.
I'm one of them. Before I moved into design, I was a gig photographer. Despite wearing hearing protection at every single show, I woke up one morning in September 2017 with ringing in my ears that has never stopped. These days I carry earplugs on my keys and use them for movies, loud restaurants, sport matches, anywhere the sound might become too much.
Add to that the people managing auditory processing disorder, those with attention-related challenges, anyone navigating a cognitive disability that makes focus harder in noisy environments, and suddenly you're talking about a lot of people who need that microphone to follow what you're saying.
(Look, I finally get to show off my gig photography! Also, back up your files, people. Instagram embeds are a terrible way to present your work)
It puts the onus on people in the audience to disclose their disability to the entire room. It forces them to single themselves out, raise their hand, and say "no, I need help."
Asking "can everyone hear me?" feels polite, but it's actually pretty terrible. It puts the onus on people in the audience to disclose their disability to the entire room. It forces them to single themselves out, raise their hand, and say "no, I need help."
Most people won't. They'll just miss out on what you're saying and hope they can piece it together later.
This isn't about ego or embarrassment on their part. It's about the fact that nobody should have to justify their access needs in front of a crowd just to participate in something everyone else gets without asking.
Microphones do more than amplify your voice. They stabilise it.
Hearing aids adjust automatically based on volume, and when someone projects inconsistently, the device can adjust incorrectly. A microphone gives a steady, clear signal that hearing aids and cochlear implants can work with properly.
Microphones also make it possible for speech-to-text apps and live captioning (CART) to work accurately. These tools rely on the microphone to pick up what you're saying clearly enough to transcribe it in real time.
And then there's the room itself. Echoey venues, background noise, HVAC systems humming away in the ceiling, all of these make it harder to focus on a specific sound. The microphone cuts through that. It gives people with tinnitus or auditory processing challenges a fighting chance to actually hear you instead of working overtime just to separate your voice from the noise around it.
I get it. Using a microphone can feel awkward if you're not used to it. Maybe you think it makes you seem less confident, or you worry you'll look like you're overcomplicating things.
But here's the reality. The discomfort you might feel picking up a microphone does not outweigh the barriers you create by refusing to use one.
Even when presenters feel confident they're loud enough, accessibility guidelines are clear that microphones should be used regardless.
This isn't about your voice or your confidence. It's about making sure everyone in the room can actually access what you're sharing. That's the baseline, not an optional extra.
If there's a microphone, use it. Every time.
Don't wait to be asked. Don't poll the room. Don't assume that because you've got a loud voice or a small venue, you're fine without it.
Just pick it up, switch it on, and get on with what you're there to do.
If you're organising an event, make sure microphones are available for all speakers, panellists, and anyone taking questions from the audience. Make it standard practice, not something people have to request.
And if you're a speaker who's genuinely uncomfortable with microphones? Practice. Get familiar with how they work. Ask the AV team for a quick sound check before your session. The discomfort is temporary and fixable. The barriers you create by skipping the microphone are not.
Microphones aren't there to make you look important or amplify your authority. They're there to make sure everyone can hear you, full stop.
One in six Australians has hearing loss. Tinnitus, auditory processing challenges, cognitive disabilities, and dozens of other conditions affect how people take in sound.
You don't know who's in your audience or what they're managing. But you do know there's a microphone right there, ready to go.
So use it.
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