Chair of Research and Innovation in Hearing Impairment and Accessibility
Hearing impairment affects a significant proportion of the world's population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 51% of people worldwide (approximately 430 million) have some degree of hearing loss, and it is estimated that by 2050 this figure could rise to more than 700 million, representing one in ten people.
In relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing hearing impairment aligns with several of them, especially SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Addressing hearing loss contributes to improved health and well-being, reduces inequalities (SDG 10), and promotes access to quality education (SDG 4) and decent work (SDG 8).
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss is a functional impairment of hearing (partial or total) that causes problems in the acquisition and development of oral language, cognitive skills, emotions, etc. Hearing loss leads to difficulties in communication and affects the psychological well-being of the child and their family. Intervention should be based on an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach, centered on the child and their family, and implemented as a planned and well-coordinated joint action (Rodríguez-Jiménez et al., 2022).
What is Visual Impairment?
Visual impairment refers to individuals with an eye condition that affects the visual system and associated structures and functions, including the eyelids (WHO, 2021). The Spanish National Organization of the Blind (ONCE) defines blindness as the state characterized by the complete absence of vision in both eyes, even with the best optical correction. It ranges from 0.1 (Wecker scale) to the complete inability to perceive light, or a visual field restriction of 10º or less. A distinction is made between total blindness, where individuals see nothing or perceive the presence or absence of light but not the shape of objects; and partial blindness, where individuals can distinguish some objects at close range with great difficulty and read with assistive devices.
What is Deafblindness?
The Spanish Federation of Deafblindness (FESOCE) understands deafblindness as a unique disability, which has its own characteristics and needs, derived from the (partial or total) loss of vision and hearing (Flores, 2021).