Disability as Cultural Diversity: Counseling the Hearing Impaired

In recent years, the field of counseling has begun to push for a greater awareness and broader definition of cultural diversity. However, although ethnic/racial and gender diversity has been addressed, clients who have disabilities continue to be an overlooked population. This article addresses the disability of hearing impairments, and extends cultural diversity to this disability as a means of improving our work with clients who are hearing impaired Criteria for understanding hearing impairments are given, and methods of communication are presented Misconceptions about the deaf and the hard of hearing are discussed, with an emphasis on the special characteristics of this population. Issues in counseling the hearing impaired are outlined, focusing on communication dificulties, psychological assessment, and treatment techniques. Finally, recommendations regarding research, training, and practice are given.