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Is deafness a disability?

81 replies

FindingMeno · 25/10/2022 11:19

Interested in others thoughts on this.
I am a moderately deaf hearing aid user and I don't class myself as having a disability although I am eligible for a disabled person's railcard.
I just muddle through problems and don't expect anyone to make any particular adjustments to help.
But maybe I should if I need to? Is deafness a disability and is it only such at a severe or complete level?
Opinions please!

OP posts:
primeoflife · 26/10/2022 06:29

SteveBuscemisRheumyEye · 25/10/2022 22:51

@primeoflife she said they were helpful, not unhelpful!

@SteveBuscemisRheumyEye not sure why I read it as unhelpful!! I blame the beer I drank last night 🤣.

You can definitely get benefits. If you are big D deaf it can help to pay for interpreters if needed. There are also things around your house that can help like flashing door bells and fire alarms.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the years as with more children being implanted very early their language development is being less disrupted which oddly can mean those with a profound loss are doing better in school then those with a moderate to severe due to their use of technology.

AntlerRose · 26/10/2022 07:55

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 25/10/2022 23:28

Deaf children can. My daughter is moderately deaf & at an NDCS event i was the only person in the room not claiming disability benefits. It genuinely hadn't crossed my mind because she wasn't costing me any more than my hearing daughter.
I kinda wish I had now because it would be really useful to have radio aid at home and some 1:1 rather than group lessons at swimming for example but she's 7 now so I worry they'll say why haven't you claimed up-to-now.

OP - I never know whether to tick yes for disabled or not for her as she does amazingly well academically although socially it's more difficult.

Dont worry about claiming at 7. They look at whether your child has more care needs than a typical child of the same age so its very common for children to not need help til they are older as thats when indepence starts and you realise yoir child isnt ready to be independent just yet, or in quite the same way. Eg swimming lessons start and you realise 1:1 is the onky way, or a typical child might cross the road alone, but your child will need support a little longer.

FindingMeno · 26/10/2022 07:59

@BionicEar what a great post!

I relate to so many of those things, particularly phones, accents, and public transport announcements/ instructions being given by people wearing face masks.

It's a horrible feeling when the crowd on a platform all move purposefully somewhere and you have no idea why. My heart sinks when I make a phone call and a heavily accented person answers. All telephone medical appointments during covid were very difficult.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Humobean · 26/10/2022 07:59

Yes, to my mind I have a disability. For the most part hearing aids help but they cannot replace hearing totally.

FindingMeno · 26/10/2022 08:02

Hearing aids are knackering.
I feel some kind of sensory overwhelm sometimes.
Which sounds horribly ungrateful!

OP posts:
Humobean · 26/10/2022 08:05

When trying to network at an event, I can smile and nod but come across as slow and have to ask for things to be repeated multiple times. Embarrassing.

I had this last night at a work launch. A project I'd worked on for a year.

If you have hearing loss/are deaf you are often perceived as stupid.

MariEllie · 26/10/2022 08:06

As one in my family is deaf I can say yes most definitely

Humobean · 26/10/2022 08:07

Hearing aids are knackering. They are OP but my new ones play a cheer tune as they start up and for some reason I really like that!

Mommabear20 · 26/10/2022 08:07

Personally I'd say yes, but if I meet someone that was dead that started they were NOT disabled, I wouldn't argue as they obviously know how they feel better than me!
But at the same time, there are other things that would take priority in certain situations, for instance, if a deaf person was sat in the disabled area of a bus, and a pregnant woman got on board and there wasn't a spare seat, I would expect them to stand for them to sit. Like with everything, I think it's a case by case basis for most things.

Humobean · 26/10/2022 08:16

As well as hearing aids, I have a flashing door bell, modified fire/smoke alarm and use captioning on all TV programmes.

I'm very good at picking up details visually and lipread quite well.

Husband has terrible eyesight and fantastic hearing!

Choconut · 26/10/2022 08:20

HollyHocks13 · 25/10/2022 12:14

There's a difference between being deaf and Deaf (with a capital D). I work very closely with the Deaf Community (those whose first language is BSL) and they feel very strongly that Deafness is their culture and not a disability.
It's very different for someone who has hearing loss and uses English.

The Deaf community is very strong which is a big positive, we had a strong Deaf community at the university I went to. However being deaf is a disability because by definition a disability is 'a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities.'
OP you have a disability, there are different levels of disability of course but there is absolutely no reason why you couldn't ask for adjustments to be made for you. I think when people think of the word disability they think of someone obviously severely disabled and wheel chair bound and that other hidden or less severe disabilities 'don't count' because there are others that have it worse than them. In the UK I think we are conditioned to not make a fuss and so often try to muddle along as best we can.

Rainbowsandstars1 · 26/10/2022 08:20

@Drywhitefruitycidergin Never to late to apply. It is just solely about how your child needs things differently. I find the concept of benefits harder because the adjustments don't tend to "cost money" but they are still adjustments a deaf person needs and therefore most of the things that @BionicEar has stated will be answers to the DLA/PiP application form.

I am severely deaf and my son is. I do state i am registered as disabled for the benefits. And yes without adjustments it would impact my life hugely.

To an outsider we may not appear as needing alot of support but I have alot of strategies I've learnt to help me and I do suffer with pure exhaustion after a busy day listening e.g attending a training course or back to back team calls compared to when I can just get on with my work thst doesn't require listening to people. If it was a physical disability that meant people were tired e.g using crutches all day people are more aware or accepting of that as a disability but it's the same fatigue.

My son has alot more 1:1 time focusing on supporting his speech and language. It looks we are just playing with him (we are but with more focus on modelling language as recommended by his speech therapist or teacher of deaf). Swimming is proving to be a struggle now so I have added that to his updated DLA application. When he was born it was more around safety of him pulling his hearing aids out that was the reasons.

Apart from 1:1 swimming lessons and buying better technology e.g. Bluetooth adaptor for his aids most of the adjustments are just little things that don't cost alot. But I have been saving the benefit for him so that if he needs private hearing aids £3000 estimate cost later I have that. Or just to be able to pay for 1:1 support later as I suspect like me he will cope really well and use strategies/power through the day and won't meet threshold for school support. So I am saving to pay for private support.

But yes deafness can be a disability. It just depends on how the person feels. I feel I have to do alot to get through the day. its just not obvious. A friend of mine has a baha and bone conductor hearing aid and says she doesnt feel the same as i do and those aids give better hearing. But generally hearing aids do not perfect hearing.

Atmywitsend29 · 26/10/2022 08:43

BionicEar · 26/10/2022 00:15

As a deaf person you can apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). It is not automatically given as you have to give good reasons as to why you should be entitled to it.

if wanting to find out more, then I would suggest looking on Deaf PIP groups online that can advise how to apply and what things to put down.

if you are working you can apply for Access to Work to do an assessment of your needs to consider what support can be put into place at work to best support you in your job. For example this may provide you with a loop to use at work.

You can apply for NOW bus pass to use on buses.

You can apply for concessions rates to places such as cinemas/tourist attractions. For example if you are a National Trust member you can apply for a carer’s card which enables you to take someone in for free with you to provide support.

A lot of deaf people tend to downplay their disability as so used to being told to just get on with it.

Deaf people often suffer from concentration fatigue which leaves them very tired at end of day from all the listening/lipreading. This can also impacts on their mental and physical health.

What kind of things can you say impact you as a deaf person? Here are a few…

Not being able to follow conversation clearly. Often having to guess what is said or getting others to repeat. Usually they miss bits out or tell you “oh it doesn’t matter, wasn’t that important.”

Not being able to hear announcements in public places. Good example is a tannoy announcing train is now departing from a different platform. Most deaf people aren’t going to hear that and end up having to ask others what has just been said.

Difficulties with using telephone especially if lots of background noises or a difficult accent.

Difficulties with following conversation in noisy situations or struggling to lipread/understand difficult accent/beards/facial/tongue piercings/masks obstructing the face. Makes situations like hospital appointments more stressful.

Not being able to hear danger sounds such as car approaching fast/alarms going off. This increases more when tired/not able to wear hearing aid/implant.

At home risk of danger such as fire increases if cannot hear alarm at night or if in shower. Did you know specialist equipments for the deaf is way more expensive than your bog standard smoke alarm, and not all councils provide it for free either?

In response to the OP yes being deaf is a disability even though often people play down the impacts of it.

This is an Excellent post.

Just to pick up on the adapted fire alarms, it may be worth checking with the local fire service whether they supply some for free.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service fitted one of my tenants (who is profoundly deaf) with an adapted alarm that involves a vibrating pad to go under her pillow.

Atmywitsend29 · 26/10/2022 08:45

FindingMeno · 26/10/2022 08:02

Hearing aids are knackering.
I feel some kind of sensory overwhelm sometimes.
Which sounds horribly ungrateful!

Hearing aids are knackering, I agree.
Mine gives me a headache for the first 2 weeks if I havent worn it in a while.

ThingsIhavelearnt · 26/10/2022 08:52

Yes of course it is

glassfully · 26/10/2022 10:59

The only bit I disagree with is hearing impaired as no one in the field who knows anything uses that term now.

Oh god, I had no idea. What's the correct term? I actually need to email a new student about applying for reasonable adjustments for this very reason and now I'm worried I'll put my foot in it. She hasn't mentioned her hearing to me but a module leader did so I'll be approaching her out of the blue. She can hear very well with hearing aids so I don't want to suggest we've noticed she's struggling, he just noticed the hearing aids and her voice. I'm not the person who assesses reasonable adjustments but I need to let her know they can be contacted and it's always worthwhile.

Mangolist · 26/10/2022 11:20

Exhausting is so right. Stressful, trying to work out what someone has said, because they're on the 'wrong', embarrassing because you answer someone who hasn't spoken because you cannot manage directional hearing; for me, trying to explain being 'born with one ear' - usually response is laughter, dreading crossing the road because - god knows where those cars are coming from, driving along and there's an ambulance but where the hell is it?
I suppose, thinking about my life, yes it probably is a disability

Asher33 · 26/10/2022 11:35

I've always used hearing impaired. Is that wrong? I don't feel I can identify as deaf because I do have some useful hearing and quite frankly would feel like a fraud if I said I was deaf! (Hospital notes state I have a mild form of hearing loss with some other issues which affect my ability to hear)

DatasCat · 26/10/2022 19:57

My heart sinks when I make a phone call and a heavily accented person answers.

I was always terrified of being thought racially prejudiced when I genuinely could not understand the accents of some of those call centre staff.

DatasCat · 26/10/2022 20:01

Not being able to follow conversation clearly. Often having to guess what is said or getting others to repeat. Usually they miss bits out or tell you “oh it doesn’t matter, wasn’t that important.”

Happens to me all the time in noisy social situations. Family are the absolute worst for it and it drives me mad! 😡😡😡

inthemiddlepiggyinthemiddle · 26/10/2022 20:38

DatasCat · 26/10/2022 19:57

My heart sinks when I make a phone call and a heavily accented person answers.

I was always terrified of being thought racially prejudiced when I genuinely could not understand the accents of some of those call centre staff.

Oh dear god, me too. I have a lanyard with hard of hearing on it in bright yellow and STILL people at work whisper gossip to me. I feel very isolated at times, but although I have adjustments they only do so much.

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 27/10/2022 00:32

DatasCat · 26/10/2022 19:57

My heart sinks when I make a phone call and a heavily accented person answers.

I was always terrified of being thought racially prejudiced when I genuinely could not understand the accents of some of those call centre staff.

The heavy accent is an interesting one - I pointed out to senco once that x & y teachers wouldn't be ideal for dd because of their accented EFL English & she told me that wouldn't be a reasonable adjustment 🤷‍♀️

I wonder if the seed was planted though because dd is in the opposite class from the French lady who I find a challenge at times!

Laughingravy · 27/10/2022 01:12

A view from the outside:
A dear friend of many years is in wheelchair as a result of serious illness and which also eventually took their hearing. Though being wheelchair bound is a very challenging incapacity it hasn't seemed to be as isolating as their becoming profoundly deaf. So I'd say yes it is a disability but like so many things in life there are degrees of it. Also medical assessment of such things doesn't always agree with the general opinion of those with a condition.

DatasCat · 27/10/2022 13:06

Funnily enough I think that one of the reasons my A-level maths is so crap is that the Pure Maths teacher had a thick Egyptian accent and spent most of her lessons with her back to us muttering into the blackboard.

(Most of us got rubbish grades. She was a hopeless teacher, simple as).

BogRollBOGOF · 27/10/2022 13:24

Hearing loss affects/ restricts social and employment opportunities, so it can be as "disabling" as other physical impairments or neurodiversity.

Sensory loss is also influential in exacerbating degenerative conditions su