In case you were ever wondering what they were saying about us in the corridors of power, The Deafened People Page brings to you, from the 1997 U.S. Federal Register, this excerpt:

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR)

Background

Individuals whose hearing is impaired, but who can understand conversational speech with, or without, amplification are hard-of-hearing (HOH). Adults who are late-deafened (L-D) become deaf after having experienced hearing as well as speech and language development.

Adults who are late-onset HOH and those who are L-D have common and different employment-related and personal adjustment needs. A third group of persons who are considered hearing-impaired are those persons who are prelingually deaf. Because the prelingually deaf have been and continue to be the focus of other NIDRR-funded research, this proposed priority is for research that addresses the needs of adults who are L-D or late-onset HOH.

According to data from the Bureau of the Census, the number of individuals who have a functional limitation in hearing normal conversation is approximately 10.9 million (McNeil, J., ``Americans with Disabilities: 1991-1992,'' Household Economic Studies, P70-33, December 1993). The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) estimates the number of persons who are HOH ranges from 20 million to 22 million (``National Health Survey,'' Series 10, No. 188, 1994). The NCHS studies use the ``Gallaudet Hearing Scale'' which is self-reporting and quantifies the amount of interference with hearing in ordinary day-to-day situations. According to the Association of Late-Deafened Adults, the number of persons who are L-D is estimated to be between 800,000 and 1.5 million. For 1991 and 1992, of all persons 21 to 64 years old who had some functional limitation hearing normal conversation, 3,335,000 individuals or 63.6 percent were employed, while 189,000 individuals, or 58.2 percent of those who were totally unable to hear normal conversation, were employed (McNeil, J., 1993).

Over the years, NIDRR has supported a number of research efforts to address the problems caused by various hearing impairments. At various times these efforts have included: developing hearing aids and telecommunication devices; enhancing the use and teaching of sign language interpreters; developing interventions for ``low-functioning'' deaf persons with multiple disabilities; developing more effective interventions and service models for hearing impaired vocational rehabilitation clients; and studying mental health issues of persons who are deaf, HOH, or L-D.

As the population ages, as people recover from serious illness with hearing impairments, and as environmental factors contribute to the incidence of hearing loss, it has become clear that there is a growing population of persons who experience disabling hearing loss as adults. The time of onset is likely to be in older adulthood, but this population is distinguished by the fact that the hearing loss occurs after the person has developed spoken language, has completed substantial formal education, and may have worked, married, had children, or developed social relationships--as a hearing person with ``normal'' speech.

These individuals face major adjustment problems in all phases of their lives, and may undergo depression and disruption in family or community life, as well as in their ability to perform their work and maintain their career. Such individuals need to learn ways to maintain communication skills--both receptive and expressive--and frequently need interventions to enable them to maintain speech quality (i.e., volume, modulation, articulation). Because they socialize and work with colleagues, family, and friends in a hearing and speaking environment, and because of their age, they are not likely to make a transition to deaf culture even if they do learn some sign language. Most will depend on lip-reading, amplification, or written communication. Multiple personal adjustment and work performance issues confront these individuals ranging from safety (e.g., driving and traffic noise, fire alarms, public announcement warning systems) to following instructions at work, to communicating with doctors, dentists, and therapists about their health and medications.

The impact of partial or complete hearing loss may have compound effects on the work status of individuals who are L-D or HOH. In addition to the functional impact of the hearing loss on an employee's performance, the employee may be unfamiliar with his or her civil rights and concerned about disclosing his or her condition for fear of dismissal, demotion, or loss of potential career advancement. This fear of disclosure not only produces additional anxiety, but also may delay or prevent the employee from obtaining needed assistance. Even if the employee discloses his or her condition, human resource personnel, family counselors, and other employment and social service providers may not be familiar with the sundry impacts that hearing loss and impairment can have on work performance and personal life. The inability of human resource personnel, family counselors, and others to provide effective services can increase the individual's sense of isolation and anxiety.

Factors such as early identification, family support, and the provision of reasonable accommodations can play an important role in enabling the individual to adjust to the hearing impairment and maintain employment, family, and community status. Providing such individuals with appropriate assistive technology (e.g., assistive listening devices, realtime computer assisted captioning) in a timely manner can make a significant difference in job performance and morale.

The onset of a hearing impairment or the increased loss of hearing ability also can have a significant impact on the personal life of an individual who is L-D or HOH. It is not uncommon for those individuals to experience feelings of disorientation and alienation and to withdraw from family and friends. That withdrawal reinforces the individual's isolation and can, in extreme instances, lead to secondary complications such as alcohol and drug abuse.