Is Conductive Hearing Loss A Disability?

Hearing loss can cause complications and frustration in the workplace. A common difficulty that people with hearing loss have is holding conversations with coworkers. Often, working requires additional energy since it can be a struggle to communicate effectively with coworkers.

Some coworkers may avoid communicating with the employee with a hearing loss due to frustration or the need for extra effort to be heard. The person with hearing loss may feel socially isolated or unable to achieve their career goals without cooperation and interaction with coworkers.

Coworkers may assume that the person with hair loss is disinterested or is ignoring them. The person with hearing loss may be tempted to keep the hair loss a secret. Coworkers who are frustrated or misunderstand the person’s perceived lack of interest may avoid the coworker which can meet the coworker feeling socially isolated.

Since conductive hearing loss can make employment difficult, is conductive hearing loss a disability? If the conductive hearing loss is temporary or can be improved with the use of hearing a, it is not typically considered a disability.

The Social Security Administration measures a significant hearing impairment as an average hearing threshold sensitivity for air convection of ninety decibels or greater. The hearing impairment is measured in the better ear.

Not all people with hearing loss would like to get disability benefits. Many make productive employees. If an employer is willing to make accommodations for the employee with a hearing loss, the employee often has a better attitude towards work and is more productive.

Conductive hearing loss is often not considered a disability because they hearing loss is usually temporary or can improved with the use of hearing aids. The Social Security Administration of the United States may give the person with conductive hearing loss disability payments if they hearing loss fits their standards for severity and is expected to last for at least one year.

In addition to difficulty with employment, hearing loss can strain relationships. If one spouse has a hearing loss, the other spouse may become frustrated or even depressed about not being heard or feeling heard. The spouse without the hearing loss may feel ignored.