Social Security Disability & SSI: Hearing Loss & Deafness
Basic Rules Your Case
To obtain Social Security disability and SSI benefits with hearing loss, deafness, and labyrinthine-vestibular disorders means meeting two criteria: 1) Non-Medical Criteria and 2) Disability Criteria.
Following the requirements of the disability criteria means -
- You know how Social Security reviews hearing loss, deafness, and labyrinthine-vestibular disorders (examined on this page),
- You satisfy a Hearing Loss Social Security Listing (also examined on this page) or you have disabling Functional Limitations (examined on the next page), and
- You Submit Winning Evidence (examined on the last page).
Know To Win
- Non-Medical Criteria
- Disability Criteria
- Hearing Loss/Deafness
- Functional Limitations
- Submit Winning Evidence
Necessary Medical Evidence You Need to Win Your Social Security Disability Case
You will need to submit to Social Security evidence of your hearing loss which includes testing and treatment. Social Security will want to see two types of testing: 1) an otologic examination (in-office clinical exam generally done by an ENT) and 2) audiometric testing (hearing testing done with headphones and a soundproof booth by a licensed audiologist or an otolaryngologist). Audiometric testing will test two things: 1) whether you can hear sounds (air conduction and bone conduction testing), and 2) whether you can discriminate the sounds you hear (speech or word recognition testing). If you wear a hearing aid, you will not wear it during testing. Your test results are recorded on an audiogram (chart of your hearing test results).
Speech, reading, and learning limitations are common in children who suffer or have suffered profound hearing loss. Because these children cannot hear sounds well, they often have difficulty saying sounds, reading, and forming and understanding words and sentences. For some children, speech is largely unintelligible. A child with hearing loss or speech limitations may subsequently be diagnosed with a learning disability.
How To Win A Hearing Loss, Deafness, Labyrinthine-Vestibular Disorders, & Speech Disorder Social Security Disability Case
Adults. Hearing loss, speech impairment, and labyrinthine-vestibular disorders are not exertional (strength) impairments. Therefore, if you suffer either, the Social Security Step 5 Grid Rules do not apply to you, and you must prove you cannot perform any job that exists in the American economy to be found disabled. To meet this standard, you will need to prove to Social Security that the severity of your condition is at a listing level, or if you have additional medical impairments that are not disabling alone, you may be able to prove disability if your hearing loss, speech impairment, and labyrinthine-vestibular disorders are close to listing level severity.
Children. Your child will need to satisfy a listing.
Social Security & SSI Listings - Hearing Loss, Deafness, Labyrinthine-Vestibular Disorders, & Speech Disorder
Hearing Loss without a Cochlear Implant.
Adult Listing 2.10 is met if one has either 1) an average air conduction hearing threshold of at least 90 decibels and an average bone conduction hearing threshold of at least 60 decibels, or 2) word recognition of no more than 40%.
Child Listing 102.10 is met as follows:
- Children under 5 - an average air conduction hearing threshold of at least 50 decibels; or
- Children over 5 - 1) an average air conduction hearing threshold of at least 70 decibels and an average bone conduction hearing threshold of at least 40 decibels, 2) word recognition of no more than 40%, or 3) an average air conduction hearing threshold of at least 50 decibels and a marked reduction in speech.
Hearing Loss with Cochlear Implant. Adult Listing 2.11, and Child Listing 102.11. Each listing is met 1) for at least one year after the implant, or 2) if after more than 1 year after implant, one's word recognition score no more than 60 percent. A child has a third way to meet the listing - they have a cochlear implant and are under age 5.
Labyrinthine-Vestibular Disorders. Adult Listing 2.07 requires 1) regular balance problems, tinnitus, and worsening hearing loss; 2) abnormal vestibular labyrinth functioning; and 3) any level of hearing loss.
Speech Impairments. If you have severe speech limitations as a result of your hearing loss, two listings apply to children and four listings apply to adults. Social Security evaluates communication impairments (speech) due to non-neurological disorders under Adult Listing 2.09. Social Security evaluates communication impairments (speech) associated with neurological disorders under listings Adult Listing 11.04A, Adult Listing 11.07C, Adult Listing 11.11B, Child Listing 111.09, and Child Listing 112.02.
Do you suffer another medical condition? If so, visit our Site Menu-Home page to find that review. You may have another way to prove disability.
Hearing loss is a profound loss of functioning, and it has a profound impact on a person's life. That said, in disability case, it is very hard to be found disabled unless a client satisfies a listing.
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