Veterans and Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is not just a problem for the aged. According to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Veterans, an estimate of more than 78,000 veterans will return home from Afghanistan and Iraq with hearing loss. It is, by far, the most prevalent condition in soldiers post-conflict, along with traumatic brain injury.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has implemented programs that offer assistance to veterans with hearing loss. The Veterans with Hearing Loss Project allows for returning vets with hearing damage to earn bachelor’s or graduate-level degrees at RIT. Among the many benefits available to student veterans are real-time captioning and note-taking assistance and access to a fully-staffed audiological services department.

RIT/NTID has also joined forces with the Hearing Loss Association of America in order for more vets with hearing loss across the country to experience the benefits of these assistance programs.

Due to its commitment to serving this demographic of returning soldiers, RIT has recently been named as a “Yellow Ribbon” University by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. This partnership will undoubtedly equip returning vets with more specialized services, not to mention the chance to receive a superior education.