The stigma associated with hearing loss is one reason for
educators being reluctant to seek out assistance, a study has found. Another common
reason is that faculty members worry about costing their departments money if
they request assistance in combating their hearing challenges.
Jane Brody, the Personal Health columnist for The New York Times, wrote earlier this
year, “Hearing loss, a disability currently untreated in about 85 percent of those
affected, may be the nation’s most damaging and costly sensory handicap.” Isn’t
it time for educators to move out of their silent worlds and get the assistance they need?