The needs of hearing impaired people in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong about 8 – 12% of children suffer from various degrees of hearing and communication disorders. Hearing loss may be present at birth or occur later in life. Hearing is an essential component in speech and language development for young children.
Approximately 800,000 elderly persons in Hong Kong is suffering hearing loss, anywhere from mild to profound degree.
Hearing loss is also ranked the third most common disorder in elderly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Hearing Impaired Population in Hong Kong
Audiologists in Hong Kong
It is estimated that the hearing impaired population of Hong Kong is between 398,000 and 639,000 people. This corresponds well with the notion that it is estimated that at least 10% of population in an industrialized country suffer from hearing loss. However, for a population of 6.7 million in Hong Kong, there is only one audiologist per 134,000 people (2005). Compared to the United States, where there is one audiologist for every 7,000, or Japan, whose ratio is one per 50,000. It is evident Hong Kong is lagging behind in the provision of services for the hearing impaired.
Public Education about hearing loss
A key factor for this neglect emphasizes the importance of more widespread public education about hearing loss. Elderly people lose hearing over time and most do not catch on soon enough. A study by the Audiology Centre at Hong Kong Society for the Deaf indicated that the average hearing level for about 600 seniors who took their first hearing test was 65 dB HL. Compared to the average of 40 dB HL for people taking their first hearing test in Western countries, the elderly Hong Kong generation seeks help only when symptoms becomes serious enough and difficult to ignore. Even when the strain has become obvious, they believe it is part of the aging process and do not do anything about it, including the simple act of getting a hearing aid. More importantly, prejudice and embarrassment about hearing loss discourage people from seeking help; some even find it difficult to accept the concept of wearing a hearing aid and do not regard it as important as for example prescribing eye glasses. Leaving hearing loss untreated could increase psychological difficulties and affect general health.
Medical Services for people with hearing impairment
The Hospital Authority provides 20 Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist clinics for the community. Out of the 20 clinics, 11 of them provide audiological services.
Neglect for routine audiological assessments may lead to delayed intervention. There is an urgent need to raise awareness of hearing loss and education for physicians (especially general practitioners), nurses and allied health professionals. Continual education and training enables the medical community to promote the importance of hearing screening and treatment for hearing impaired people. This can only be achieved by the joint effort of government and private sectors.
Educational Support for Hearing Impaired Children
The Hong Kong government has been pushing to integrate hearing impaired children into mainstream schools. For children who require special needs, there are four special schools serving over 500 children with severe to profound hearing loss. The Education Department provides audiological equipment for the schools under the Code of Aid for Special Schools.
In addition, Deaf schools and pre-schools require financial support and equipment donations for their oral/aural training program that is tailored to meet the needs of children with hearing loss. Hearing-impaired students tend to be less advantaged in their academic foundation, oral skills, equipment and support to enter mainstream tertiary-level education. Thus, resources are needed to strengthen the academic background of students with hearing loss, as well as vocation training opportunities catering for hearing-impaired students after completion of secondary education.
Schools for the Deaf
Schools Supporting the Hearing-Impaired
There's one Deaf Schools in Hong Kong: Lutheran School for the Deaf.
By September 2007, Lutheran School for the Deaf will be the only school specializing in serving Deaf students. In addition, they would be the only school providing ESS (Education Service Support) for students who attend integrated schools. Mr. Chan, the principle of Lutheran School for the Deaf, reported that they needed additional support from the public.
Raising awareness and educating the public about hearing loss is just the first step. Many students attending Lutheran School for the Deaf have profound sensorineural hearing loss, often with a genetic trait. They have received a cochlear implant or a power analog hearing aid from the government. Yet, when more than one family member needs hearing aids and parents are of lower income, they are unable to afford an additional aid to complete binaural amplification or a hearing aid of higher output and better quality for the student. Sometimes a simple act of upgrading from a peak-clipping analog aid to a digital aid which can improve speech understanding dramatically and maximize use of their residual hearing sensitivity can be a major financial burden.
Early Education / Pre-Schools for the Deaf
For younger children, there are three pre-schools in Hong Kong (as of March 2006) that support hearing impaired children. Their curriculum emphasizes on auditory-verbal training. Their goal is to provide early intervention to children with hearing impairment, and to equip them with the expressive language and auditory-oral skills needed to attend integrated primary schools. The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf runs two special child care centres, Hong Kong Lions Special Child Care Centre on Hong Kong Island and Bradbury Special Child Care Centre in Kowloon. The centres provide pre-school training for hearing impaired children from 2 to 6 and their parents. With intensive auditory and speech training, hearing impaired children are equipped with basic skills to prepare for transition or integration to future education and integration. The third pre-school is Suen Mei Speech and Hearing Centre.
| Schools in Hong Kong Supporting the Hearing-Impaired | |
| Early-Education/ Pre-Schools for the Deaf | |
Deaf Organizations in Hong Kong
There are two non-profit organizations for the hearing impaired in Hong Kong; the Hong Kong Societyfor the Deaf and Hong Kong Association of the Deaf.
