How Much Do We Spend On Listening Devices?
Posted by: Staff Writer on Aug. 20, 2012
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and one of the challenges we face in the Deaf Community is finding affordable means to cope in a hearing world. Though sign language is an excellent communication tool and way of life for many of us, lack of technology can have a dramatic effect on a Deaf or hard of hearing person’s life.
That includes listening devices like hearing aids. While they do not fully restore hearing, and some Deaf/HH individuals opt out of them for non-financial reasons, hearing aids do offer some useful degree of amplification. Sadly, very few of the 37 million Americans with hearing loss get any private insurance coverage for hearing aids. That’s one big reason why up to 80% of Deaf/HH adults simply forgo aids entirely.
The infographic below offers a quick rundown of some expenses many Deaf/HH Americans must pony up out-of-pocket. Truth be told, true time and money losses cannot be computed exactly. Do these visual statistics make you feel mad and broke? We encourage you to do something (write to your senator, tweet this link, join a medical advocacy group) to help improve how we as a country and a Community can improve all levels of accessibility.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/health/hearing-aid-insurance/index.html
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/02/embrace-hearing/
Tags
- deaf
- deaf blind
- hard of hearing
- deaf friendly
- sign language
- technology
- hearing aids
- deafhh
- siri
- cochlear implant
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