LibGuides: Disability Awareness: Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Key Facts

By 2050, an estimated 700 million people (or 1 in every 10) in the world will have disabling hearing loss (World Health Organization).
Roughly 37.5 million (or 15%) of American adults over the age of 18 have reported trouble hearing (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders).
In the United States, about 2-3 out of every 1,000 children are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders).
In the United States, almost 50 million people have trouble hearing with one or both ears (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders).

Definitions

According to the World Health Organization...

Hearing loss - "A person who is not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearing – hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears – is said to have hearing loss. Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. It can affect one ear or both ears, and leads to difficulty in hearing conversational speech or loud sounds."
Hard of hearing - This refers to "people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices as well as captioning."
Deaf - People with "profound hearing loss, which implies very little or no hearing. They often use sign language for communication."

ND Assistive
North Dakota Assistive is a non-profit organization that strives to bring assistive technology devices and services into the lives of North Dakotans and Minnesotans of all ages who need it. Our goal is to help bridge the gap between ability and disability using assistive technology such as the Specialized Phone Program.
ND Division of Rehabilitation Services
The Division of Rehabilitation Services works to serve individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, or have speech impediments. The resources available can assist with the ability to have better communication, allow more independence and ultimately have a better quality of life by enhancing communication options to gain, maintain or return to competitive employment.
ND Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program
North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities
ND School for the Deaf/ Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The North Dakota School for the Deaf/Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NDSD/RCDHH) was established in 1890 by the North Dakota Constitution and located in Devils Lake is under the direction, control, and management of the Department of Public Instruction. The NDSD/RCDHH has been proudly serving the citizens of North Dakota with programs and services since its establishment by the North Dakota Legislature in 1890. The school is an educational institution for the education of persons of all ages with severe to profound hearing loss that looks at the individual needs of the child and family. Out-of-state students are accepted on a tuition basis. NDSD/RCDHH collaborates with public and private entities for the provision of services to adult individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing plus provides direct services to adults statewide.
North Dakota Association of the Deaf
The North Dakota Association of the Deaf, Inc. (NDAD), a statewide political advocacy organization serving the deaf and hard of hearing citizens in the state of North Dakota, was established in June 1916 and incorporated in 1978 with the following preamble: For mutual assistance and encouragement in securing moral, intellectual, and social improvement, advocating measures tending to better their condition and standing in society at large; and for the strength and usefulness which union gives, the deaf of North Dakota do organize themselves into an Association.
North Dakota Disabilities Advocacy Consortium
The North Dakota Disabilities Advocacy Consortium advocates for public policy to ensure that people with disabilities have the supports and services they need to be as productive and independent as possible.
North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation
North Dakotans are encouraged to recognize that a disability is one part of who a person is, and at work, it is what people can do that matters, and inclusive workplaces and communities enhance the quality of life of all North Dakotans. Our primary mission is to assist North Dakotans with disabilities to improve their employment opportunities and to assist North Dakota businesses in finding solutions to their disability-related issues.
Relay North Dakota
A free public service to support telephone communication for people with hearing or speech disabilities.

American Society for Deaf Children
College Guide for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
At BestColleges, aims to help prospective students find the schools that best meet their needs through proprietary research, user-friendly guides, and hundreds of independent college rankings. The National Center for Educational Statistics reports somewhere around 20,000 deaf and hard of hearing students attend post-secondary educational institutions each year.
Communication Services for the Deaf, Inc.
The Communication Services for the Deaf, Inc (CSD) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing broad-based services, ensuring public accessibility, and increasing public awareness of issues affecting deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Through global leadership and a continuum of quality communication services and human service programs, CSD provides the tools conducive to a positive and fully integrated life.
Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Hearing Loss Association of America
Hearing Loss in Children
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Association of the Deaf
Founded in 1880, the National Association of the Deaf safeguards the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. As a national federation of state associations, individual members, and organizational and corporate affiliates, the advocacy work of the NAD encompasses a broad spectrum of areas including, but not limited to, accessibility, education, employment, healthcare, mental health, rehabilitation, technology, telecommunications, and transportation.
National Association of the Deaf: Law & Advocacy Center
The NAD Law and Advocacy Center educates, advocates, and litigates on behalf of and to empower deaf and hard of hearing people. The NAD Law and Advocacy Center advocates on legislative and public policy issues of concern to the deaf and hard of hearing community, particularly at the national level and often in collaboration with other national organizations.
National Center for Deaf Health Research (NCDHR)
The Rochester Prevention Research Center (RPRC) works with populations of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users and people with acquired hearing loss, two distinct disparity populations that have in common the experience of being overlooked, excluded and underserved by healthcare, health research and public health programs. Historically, most health research programs that include Deaf people and people with acquired hearing loss have focused on hearing acuity, so the knowledge base related to basic health indicators is lacking.
National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports research in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. Over the past 30 years, researchers supported by the NIDCD have made seminal advances in understanding the basic biology of sensory systems and disease mechanisms, leading to increasingly effective, evidence-based treatments for diseases and disorders that affect an ever growing segment of the population.
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf is one of the nine colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology and is home to the world’s first and largest technological college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.