Is hearing impairment a disability?

The law does not determine for me my self-perception or how I choose to identify.

For me yes & no. It does affect my daily life & without my aids I’m at quite a disadvantage BUT not too long ago I had an incident that multiplied my loss at least 10 fold for 24-36hours. I was devasted & totally non functional… After that I really don’t consider myself at any great disadvantage as long as I have my trusty aids.

Hi Xonic83, I also deal with both vision and hearing disability, altho I’m not completely blind. I still have vision in my R eye, it can be corrected to 20/100. I wear cochlear implants, so technology is a huge boost for my hearing. I do think of it all as disability, sort of. But in a practical sense that means I have to sort of seek out ways to cope better, like using a screen magnifier, or captions when I can’t hear, access buses to get around, etc.

I completely agree that vision loss can be a LOT more inconvenient than hearing loss.

@snorkelfan said:

did you enjoy it?

I did but I was a bit scared as I don’t swim. I had to wear a snorkeling mask to be able to beathe, and a diving suit to make sure I don’t sink!

That was in Safaga, on the Red Sea.

In my opinion it are the people around you - the people of the society you live in - which make you consider your hearing impairment as a “disability”. When I was a pupil at school I considered my hearing impairment as a “disability”, because everybody made fun of me because of my hearing aids. So I felt handicapped. With years this feeling changed, as the acceptance of the people around me increased about my hearing impairment and so I did not feel handicapped any more. And meanwhile I feel great about my hearing disability, because it is really a kind of privilege. You rill think “What?” right now, but let me explain it: These modern hearing aids can do things that normal hearing people can just dream of. I can talk by phone with them. I can hear music with them where ever I want and nobody knows it. I can connect them with sooo many things via bluetooth. I can go to watch movies in cinemas where I get the sound transmitted directly to my hearing aids, so the sound is in stereo and it is a real “tridemensional” experience all other people in the cinema don’t get in this way. I do not hide my hearing aids under my long hair any more. I have very short haircuts meanwhile and I am proud of my hearing aids. I also got colored earmolds as fasionable accessories. I love my black earmolds most. They look so elegant together with my black PHONAKs. I hope this answers your question!

Hi! I would like to know what you think about all the comments you got from the different people! thanks in advance. Marc

Hi Peter, this is quite a strange regulation. I once bought a pair of hearing aids that were much more sophisticated, than the ones my health insurance does pay for me. They were practically new from a guy who unfortunately died a few weeks after he got them. I got them for a very good price. But then, when I wanted them to become adjusted to my needs by my aocustician and I got into severe problems. He said that this is not allowed and wanted me to tell him from whom I got them. I refused to tell it to him. Finally I broke up my business relationship with him for ever. But I needed about half a year until I found an aocustician who was willing to adjust them to my needs. This guy is great and I am very happy with him, but he lives and works hundreds of km away from where I live. Why the hell it is so complicate in Europe? Finally it is sustainable to keep using a second hand pair of hearing aids instead of thowing them away almost unused - right?! Thank in advance for your response. Marc

I do I struggle everyday

Disabled is a heavy word, so I don’t think so. I felt weird filing request to be exempted from English listening test when i was in college bc i did not feel disabled. But the struggle was a real one, I don’t think you need to feel disabled to feel and the struggle. But also psychologically, i think people born with physical and capabilities issue adapted to it and dont tend to see themselves as having one less something. My hearing is normal in one ear up to 2khz so yeah I don’t feel disabled a lot of times but the thing is i know people with worse hearing than mine not considered themselves disabled either and yet they said they were still judged from being able to talk and communicate. I feel like people tend to see Deaf people who use sign language as the one deserving to claim it. But even i have heard some people with CIs dont consider themselves deaf because they can communicate through speaking. I think “disabled” is a remnant from the world where technology and awareness were still crude and many people are left with no options but welfare and kindness from society. But now tech progress make people not feel disabled and they feel empowered instead.

“Disabled” covers the full spectrum from lying on your back and being unable to move a limb, to struggling with a specific task. I have no problems with a single, specific imperfection- or the word.

@Marc1975

Great post. Thanks.

@Zeeza

I have great respect for you. You’ve taught me a lot with your questions, learning and knowledge.

DaveL

Toronto

I read your note about motherhood, marriage and taking your niece and nephew swimming. I cried about your experience with your niece.

When we lived in Maryland USA I took swimming lessons. Large classes. I couldn’t swim. A child in lessons drowned. We lived in the USA for almost 4 years. It was wonderful. My Father was at home. Prior to that he was at sea on a ship.

I have no children too.

Sending respect and appreciation.

DaveL