Hearing loss, accessibility and inclusion
In 2025, just under 4 million Australians (or 1 in 6 people) experience a significant degree of hearing loss, with up to 1.5 million Australians experiencing moderate to severe hearing loss or deafness. In turn, this can often create a significant ongoing and developing mental health challenge throughout the lifespan, which may include stress, anxiety, isolation, and depression. The disability that comes from hearing loss is very much an underrated challenge and can have significant impacts on neural activation, neural plasticity, and functioning, leading to a separate, minority cultural identity and perpetuating ongoing feelings of isolation driven by a lack of social accessibility and inclusion. Research has suggested that hearing loss is associated with a reduction in grey matter volume in the auditory cortex, the area of the brain responsible for processing sound, and as a consequence, the brain has to compensate or work harder to process those “hard to hear” sounds. While we may not be conscious of this, the combination of mental (brain) strain, structural changes to how the brain functions where hearing is affected, and social isolation caused by a hearing impairment or loss increases the risk for cognitive decline and potential mental impairment, such as dementia.
Where hearing loss, of whatever degree, is a feature of a client’s condition, considerable understanding and sensitivity are appropriate. Complete deafness means that an understanding of the Australian sign language, Auslan, or a range of local Aboriginal or Indigenous sign languages becomes critical. This can create hurdles for both counsellor and client, given the significant costs that a client has to incur if no or limited government support is available, and the path to an inclusive society becomes harder if it is based on money. The creation of the therapeutic relationship may be more challenging than otherwise should be the case. Yet, rising to that challenge is what we should all strive towards and encourage governments to support those in need in the community and to be conscious of all aspects of accessible inclusivity, building a world where no one has to struggle and all feel respected and accepted. How do we feel when engaging with a different person who is hearing impaired or deaf, which challenges us to be collective, empathetic, and inclusive? Let’s share our experiences to help bridge the hearing gap!
#counselling #disability #diversity #hearingimpaired #deaf #counselling #therapy #therapeuticrelationship #fosteringchange #regard #collaboration #mentalhealth #wellbeing