At what percentage of hearing loss would one have to have in order to be considered disabled?

Question

I was told that I lost 55% of my hearing. I am aware that hearing cannot be measured by percentages. I wear high tech hearing aids. Just asking out of curiosity. I do not feel disable nor do i require special equipment. I only require hearing aids and an interpreter in some cases.

Answer 1

I am not sure what a 55% loss is, but I feel that, if you do not think you are disabled, then you are not. My hearing loss is far worse than yours. Hearing aids make it easier for me to read lips because I can hear parts of words. I have a hearing dog to tell me about sounds that I would otherwise miss and a text telephone that allows me to read what people say. I do not believe that I am disabled either.

According to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_impairment, "Measuring hearing loss in terms of a percentage is debatable in terms of effectiveness, and has been compared to measuring weight in inches. Though in specific legal situations, where decibels of loss are converted via a recognized legal formula, one can infer a standardized "percentage of hearing loss" which is suitable for legal purposes only." The only definition of "disabled" I have seen is the criteria to qualify for government assistance or tax credits.

There are two main types of hearing loss. An audiologist will measure both when you have an audiogram. Loss of the ability to hear sounds is measured in decibels (dB). This tells how loud a sound has to be for you to hear it. Mild hearing loss is between 25 and 40 dB for adults and between 15 and 40 dB for children. A loss of 41 to 55 dB is considered moderate. Moderately sever is 56 to 71 dB. Severe is 71 to 90 dB, and profound hearing loss is 90 dB or greater. Hearing is tested at several different frequencies. Most people have more hearing loss at higher frequencies than lower frequencies, so hearing loss is usually described as a range, such as "moderate to severe". Some countries provide financial aid or allow for tax deductions for people who meet their definition of hearing impaired. The criteria differs from country to country. In Canada, you have to be profoundly deaf (greater than 90 dB hearing loss at all frequencies) before you can deduct the cost of text telephones, hearing dogs, and other aids.

The other type of hearing loss is discrimination. After measuring your hearing loss, an audiologist will set his amplifier to match your hearing loss, then ask you to repeat common one and two syllable words, such as fun, cowboy and baseball. The number of words you get right is measured as a percentage. There is no fixed rule about what percentage is classified as disabled, but if you don't hear 50% to 60% of the common words on the test, you will not understand spoken conversation, no matter how loud it is.

Answer 2

Hearing Loss Disability Percentage

Answer 3

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You have a mild or moderate disability that does not prevent you from actively participating in life, work, recreational activities, marriage, child birth, family life, etc. You COULD climb Mt Everest if you so wished. For employment purposes disabilities are catagorized as "barriers" to working in viable employment. A person who is in a wheel chair has a mobility barrier to overcome, a person who has no use of their arms has a greater barrier, and so on. The degree of disability precluding viable employment is dependent upon how severe the barriers are and how many. As for you - dont even think in terms of being disabled, get out and enjoy life !! Go climb mountains and thank God that you are able to do so - the only "label" you get is "human being" :-)

Answer 4

If your hearing is near normal with hearing aids - than you do not qualify for benefits as a person with a disability, but that doesn't mean you are not disabled.

Answer 5

For SSD you basically have to have total hearing loss in both ears.

Answer 6

Check out, please