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Cost of Disability Survey for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

People with disabilities are much more likely to experience poverty in Ireland.

The 2021 Cost of Disability report found that disabled people face extra costs of €9,482 to €11,734 per year on average. These costs include medicines, care and support, transport, mobility, social activities, home adaptations, and everyday expenses such as food and heating.

The report says more support is needed to help cover these costs. This includes higher payments, better access to services, and targeted grants. It also highlights the difficulties many people with disabilities face in finding and keeping employment. Families are often affected too, as they may lose income or make sacrifices to provide care.

The Government is now running a public consultation on the Cost of Disability, and this is your opportunity to share your views.

Chime has created this survey to help Deaf and hard of hearing people take part in the consultation. The results will be included in Chime’s submission to the Department of Social Protection.

The survey takes 10 minutes to complete. We encourage as many Deaf and hard of hearing people as possible to take part, so please share this survey with your contacts.

Thank you for helping us represent the views of the Deaf and hard of hearing community.

The survey closes at 1pm on 31 March.
1.Which of the following costs do you face due to your hearing loss? Select all that apply.
2.Have you ever had to pay for an Irish Sign Language interpreter?
3.How much do you spend on average on ISL interpreters per year?
4.Have you ever used the ISL Voucher scheme that the Department of Social Protection provides?
5.How easy was it to access the ISL Voucher scheme?
6.The ISL Voucher scheme is limited to 5 vouchers per year. How many vouchers would you like to use per year if more were made available?
7.Are you aware of the Work and Access scheme provided by the Department of Social Protection?
8.Would you be interested in applying for the Work and Access scheme for job interviews or for your current employment?
9.Have you received free access to ISL interpreters through the Work and Access Scheme?
10.Have you received free access to assistive listening devices through the Work and Access Scheme?
11.How easy was it to apply for the Work and Access Scheme?
12.Could the Work and Access scheme be improved in any way?
13.What other costs do you have for job-seeking or to support your employment?
14.Do you have access to a personal assistant to support you?
15.Do you pay any of the costs for a personal assistant?
16.How much do you pay for a personal assistant per year?
17.Do you require transport support?
18.How much would you spend on transport support per year?
19.Do you wear
20.How much do you pay for your hearing aids/cochlear implants/BAHAs?
21.Do you buy other accessories/items for your hearing aids/cochlear implants/BAHA's? E.g. dry box, cleaning kits, etc?
22.If so, how much to you pay a year for these items?
23.Have you received the Treatment Benefit Hearing Aid Grant of up to €1000 per pair of hearing aids?
24.If you do not have a medical card, how much do you pay a year for doctor/medical support?
25.How often do you replace your hearing aids?
26.Have you been unable to afford the quality of hearing aids that you would prefer or require for your needs?
27.Are you satisfied with the quality of hearing aids provided by the HSE for your hearing needs?
28.Which of these assistive technology devices have you ever paid for? Select all that apply.
29.How much would you spend on average per year on these devices?
30.If you have any children with a hearing loss, what additional costs do you have to manage their care?
31.Have you had to go without essential items or services due to the extra cost of having a disability ?
32.How does this affect your participation in community life or employment?
33.How do the pressures of additional costs affect your wellbeing or mental health?
34.Are there any other additional costs that you have to manage your hearing loss in order to access all aspects of life?
35.How do you think a Cost of Disability payment should be provided?
36.If you think it should be a new payment, which would be the fairest way for this to be provided?
37.Many disability organisations have called for a weekly Cost of Disability payment of €55, would you agree with this amount?