Is Hearing Loss Considered a Disability?
When Hearing Loss Qualifies as a Disability
Hearing loss can be a disability in certain cases
Who Determines How Much Hearing Loss Is Considered a Disability?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognize and support individuals with disabilities.
Both have different definitions and requirements for claiming a legal disability.
How Hearing Loss Is Defined Under the US Law
How the US Law Defines Hearing Loss Disability
ADA rules and guidelines1
The ADA is responsible for the legal definition of disability and protects people from discrimination.
ADA rules and guidelines1
The ADA is responsible for the legal definition of disability and protects people from discrimination.
SSA rules and guidelines3,4
The SSA determines eligibility for disability benefits based on specific medical criteria.
What’s Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)?
SGA5 is any significant amount of work performed for wages or profit. It’s key in helping the SSA determine eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.
There are income limits set for SGA. People claiming disabilities are usually ineligible for benefits if they make more than $1,690 per month ($2,83- if blind).
Social Security Disability Criteria for Hearing Loss
The SSA4 relies on specific medical evidence and certain hearing tests in addition to SGA. Professional test results, an ear exam, and medical history are all required.
Clients must have these tests and exams with qualified professionals, like an audiologist or ear-nose-throat (ENT) doctor. Testing includes:
- Pure-tone air and bone conduction tests to measure how well you hear sounds of different pitches and loudness.
- An otoscopic exam, which looks at the appearance of your external ear canals and tympanic membranes.
- Speech and word recognition tests to see how well you understand speech without visual cues.
The SSA will look for a better ear (the one with better hearing), because if one ear is much worse, the better one can determine how well you function overall.
Criteria if you have a cochlear implant
Criteria if you don’t have a cochlear implant
Why This Matters
Meeting one of these specific criteria, plus not being able to engage in SGA, means your hearing loss is severe enough under SSA’s medical standards to be considered disabling.
All of these requirements combined make it more likely your official disability claim will be approved.
Learn About Types and Levels of Hearing Loss
Types and Degrees of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss has different causes, but those don’t play a role in disability benefits. Key considerations involve the level of hearing loss and its impact on life and earning money.
Here’s how different levels of hearing loss impact everyday life:
Mild
Some difficulty hearing soft sounds or understanding speech in noisy environments.
Moderate
Trouble hearing regular conversations and other sounds clearly without hearing aids.Severe
Limited ability to hear most sounds without powerful hearing aids.Profound
Almost no ability to hear and understand sounds, and often requires cochlear implants.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common form of permanent hearing loss. It’s caused by damage to the inner ear or nerve pathways that carry sound to the brain.
As a result, sound isn’t sent to the brain correctly. Once SNHL occurs, it cannot be cured, but it can be treated with things like hearing aids.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Which Type Is Considered a Disability
So, what level of hearing loss is considered a disability? Mentioned earlier in this article, those with hearing loss must meet criteria set by the ADA and SSA to qualify.
A more severe level of hearing loss, documented by a hearing care specialist through testing, that impacts the ability to work, makes a legal disability diagnosis more likely.3,4
Hearing Loss Accommodations and Legal Rights
Rights and accommodations for hearing loss
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers with 15+ employees must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with hearing loss, unless it causes an “undue hardship” on the employer.
Providing accommodations helps ensure people can do their jobs and participate fully at work. These adjustments can include:
Interpreters
Assistive devices
Communication aids
Assistive Listening Devices and Technology
There are a variety of tools that help people with hearing loss participate fully in workplace communication and activities.
Examples of accommodations include:
- Assistive listening systems
- Hearing-aid-compatible phones
- Amplified headsets
- Live captioning - real-time captions, often using technology
- CART services - real-time captions created by a trained professional
- Video relay and sign language interpreting
- Updated emergency alerts such as visual alarms.
The ADA isn’t just about helping someone do their job tasks. It requires organizations to make sure people can fully participate in meetings, trainings, and professional interactions.
How to Document Hearing Loss Disability
What Is Needed to Formally Claim Hearing Loss Disability
Medical documentation and professional evaluations
When documentation is required for benefits or accommodations
Check your hearing with HearUSA
Sources:
1 U.S. Department of Justice Disability Division: Guide to Disability Rights Laws (February 28, 2020): ada. Gov.
2 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act (January 24, 2023): eeoc.gov.
3 NerdWallet: Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA): Meaning and Examples (October 25, 2025): nerdwallet.com.
4 Social Security Administration: Disability Evaluation Under Social Security (Accessed January 12, 2026): ssa.gov.
5 Social Security Administration: Substantial Gainful Activity (Accessed January 12, 2026): ssa.gov.
