Time to give them a patient hearing

BANGALORE: The hearing impaired have a peculiar problem. While they have to spend huge sums of money for the treatment of certain kinds of deafness, there is a lack of rehabilitation facilities in the state.
Deaf Awareness Week is observed in the last week of September in commemoration of the first World Congress of the Deaf held that week in 1951. Programmes held during the week will help raise awareness about the culture, heritage and language unique to the deaf people of the world.
Of the 5 per cent disabled population in Karnataka, 1.5 per cent is deaf, 1.5 per cent blind, 1.5 per cent physically handicapped and 0.5 per cent mentally challenged.
Estimates say 2 per cent of Indian population is speech and hearing impaired. Deafness can be a birth defect or acquired in the old age. Today Cochlear implants are possible and the deaf may hear again.
But most organisations working for the hearing impaired say the high expenses involved makes even use of hearing aids difficult. ``We do not recommend such latest treatment to our children,'''' says Margret Joseph of Shiela Kothawala Institute for the Deaf, situated behind the Manipal Hospital.
``The initial tests meant to determine the treatment itself costs thousands of rupees,'''' she adds. Margret clarifies her students (170 presently) do not acquire a language because they cannot hear. ``They are not dumb, only deaf.''''
Ear specialists say that research world over has understood the functioning and defects in the ear only partially. ``As compared to the eye, the ear is less studied and hence people without hearing suffer a double loss,'''' says Dr Shylaja of Amaravathi Nursing Home in RT Nagar.
Says C.N. Vijayaraj, adviser, Association of Hearing Disabled, ``Installations in the ear cost Rs 1.5 lakh upward, which is not affordable by the family of hearing impaired, especially if two or more children in the family have hearing problems.''''
A. Muthu Kumar of Dr S.R. Chandrashekar Institute of Speech and Hearing says Cochlear implants costs close to Rs 6 lakh and ``work only in people whose loss of hearing is profound.'''' There are no estimates about the number of hearing impaired people in Bangalore, he says.
Doctors also warn about the possible loss of hearing because of increased noise pollution, particularly in the traffic and industrial areas.
``Urban areas are major pollution centres, hence it will help if you go in for audiogram check-ups every year if you are in the ambit of high noise levels,'''' they say.