Social Security will publish new hearing loss Listings in the Federal Register tomorrow, to be effective sixty days later. Meeting a Listing is one way that an individual may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
I have had to explain to my staff many times why it was that I was yelling at one of my clients. It was not because I was mad. It was because my client was stone deaf -- but still did not meet a Listing for hearing loss. Make no mistake about it, the hearing loss Listings are harsh. I wish the people who draft these Listings had to have meetings with people who have hearing loss that is even in the neighborhood of the Listings.
I have had to explain to my staff many times why it was that I was yelling at one of my clients. It was not because I was mad. It was because my client was stone deaf -- but still did not meet a Listing for hearing loss. Make no mistake about it, the hearing loss Listings are harsh. I wish the people who draft these Listings had to have meetings with people who have hearing loss that is even in the neighborhood of the Listings.
Charles...I appreciate your information....
ReplyDeleteBUT did you try any other method to communicate with the client. Did you write, type on your computer, did he know any sign language...use an interpreter?
By itself...hearing loss is not a job killing disability.
Developing a hearing loss after being able to hear...is MORE than likely a disability.
I am hard of hearing and have 3 other disabilities, it took me one appeal to get my SSDI(the one that clinched it was depression). Even though when I was 30 years younger SSI was easier to get with only one disability.
You may have had a client who wanted disability benefits and happened to have profound hearing loss, but let's not jump to conclusions. Public disability benefits weren't necessarily the answer.
ReplyDeleteThere's still adaptive technology, assistive technology and reasonable accommodation. Maybe they just needed some guidance toward community resources or an advocacy group.
To begin, let me say that one of my children has been deaf since childhood, so I understand the issue.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I was with the SSA for over 30 yrs, many of those yrs in the field. Those of us who took DIb claims often commented on the fact that many deaf claimants approached SSA with the idea firmly set in their minds that ent to benefits was a given and wd show great resistance to any suggestions about job training, etc.
One of the offices in which I worked serviced the CA School for the Deaf & over time we had several discussions with instructors at the school who were unhappy with the ease with which deaf claimants were awarded benefits. Their experience was that as they sought jobs, they gave up very easily when no job was offered, as they felt that SSI pmts wd be readily available if they didn't land a job.
Eh, the revisions don't really reflect much substantive change to the listing criteria.
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