The real question is: can you work?
There are many jobs that can be done with significant or
complete hearing loss. To obtain Social
Security Disability there often has to be another diagnosis or problem.
To the specifics of your question, though, the Social
Security Administration says this about the evidence
needed for hearing loss:
B.How do we evaluate hearing loss?
1.What evidence do we need?
a. We
need evidence showing that you have a medically determinable impairment that
causes your hearing loss and audiometric measurements of the severity of your
hearing loss. We generally require both a complete otologic examination and
audiometric testing to establish that you have a medically determinable
impairment that causes your hearing loss. You should have this audiometric
testing within 2 months of the complete otologic examination. Once we have
evidence that you have a medically determinable impairment, we can use the
results of later audiometric testing to assess the severity of your hearing
loss without another complete otologic examination. We will consider your test
scores together with any other relevant information we have about your hearing,
including information from outside of the test setting.
b.
The complete otologic examination must be performed by a licensed physician
(medical or osteopathic doctor). It must include your medical history, your
description of how your hearing loss affects you, and the physician's
description of the appearance of the external ears (pinnae and external ear
canals), evaluation of the tympanic membranes, and assessment of any middle ear
abnormalities.
c.
Audiometric testing must be performed by, or under the direct supervision of,
an otolaryngologist or by an audiologist qualified to perform such tests. We
consider an audiologist to be qualified if he or she is currently and fully
licensed or registered as a clinical audiologist by the State or U.S. territory
in which he or she practices. If no licensure or registration is available, the
audiologist must be currently certified by the American Board of Audiology or
have a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A) from the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/2.00-SpecialSensesandSpeech-Adult.htm#2_10
for more information about the "Listing" level severity needed for a hearing disability.
If you don't meet a listing, don't lose hope. The listing is only the 3rd step of the 5 steps in the evaluation for disability.
Answered on Apr 07th, 2012 at 1:35 PM