Is Wearing A Hearing Aid Classed as A Disability?

When it comes to categorizing hearing loss, it’s often the case that there is confusion surrounding whether hearing loss is a disability or not. Whether it’s considered to be a disability depends on the severity of the hearing loss in the first place. Some people are dealing with a mild hearing impairment which may not be considered a disability, and then others deal with a more extreme version of hearing loss that is categorized as a disability as it has an impact on their day-to-day life. To be able to tell whether the level of hearing loss you are experiencing is classed as a disability, you need to consider the social security regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The ADA

It’s the ADA that determines your protections that come with hearing impairment disabilities, especially in the way that they relate to employment. If your hearing loss is deemed to be disabling for you, you could be entitled to claim social security benefits that will help you day to day. The thing is, it’s not just about whether hearing loss equates to a disability, it’s whether you have enough hearing loss for it to count. For the majority, hearing loss is degenerative and that means that with the right treatment the acceleration can be slowed down.

If you were looking at being eligible for social security for disability benefits, you would need to speak to your audiologist about a hearing test. This should determine your average hearing rate and if yours is below 90dB, it could be classed as disabling. This is the right rate when your hearing is being measured by air conduction. You should be able to hear below 60dB when you are tested with a bone conduction test. If you cannot repeat 40% of the words back during the test, you would qualify for social security payments, too.

Hearing Test

There are certain tests for hearing aids that you can undergo to ascertain whether your hearing loss is disabling or not. Speaking to the right audiologist will be able to help you, too, as they can also test you to see whether you can hear without hearing aids. The act of wearing hearing aids does not qualify you for social security benefits by the ADA. If you want to wear hearing aids to help your hearing loss, you will find that they benefit your daily life, but your hearing loss may have been tested as below what the ADA would class as a disability. If you need additional help, an audiologist can help you to determine what type of hearing aids will assist you.

Having a hearing aid is going to help you with your hearing loss, whether it’s determined as a disability or not. It’s not always easy to deal with hearing loss, nor is it easy to wear hearing aids, but when you’re in the in between of being unable to class as having a disability and wearing hearing aids, you may find it hard to deal with it. You are then classed as having an invisible disability because it’s not on paper, but you still have those odd days. It can be hard to cope with when others can’t understand or see that you need help. It can also be tricky when you need additional help in your job but you can’t get that help yet.

Treating Hearing Loss

Speaking to your audiologist about hearing aids is the first step in treating your hearing loss. Having any hearing loss is something that should be treated as a disability because of the fact that it can impact your health over time. You need to do what you can to get your hearing tested by an audiologist regularly. This will help you to stay up to date as to where your hearing levels are and you can learn what to do to protect yourself from any further hearing loss.

If you are looking to have some questions answered, the best thing that you can do is to talk to an audiologist and learn more about Clifton Springs Hearing Center. Our team can work with you on answering your questions on hearing loss hearing aids and getting you booked into our clinic for appointments with our audiology team. Call us today at 315-496-4314 today to get booked in now. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about hearing loss and disability, so you can get the very best help and support.