Hyperacusis Access to government, employment, education treatment

The original petition was based on my desire to be made deaf in the face of continued lack of accommodation by government, healthcare, and societal handicapping with respect to hyperacusis, to the point where, for 6 years, I have minimal access to government to the point of being destitute iatrogenic to the administration of legislation.

Hyperacusis is perceived as a purely psychiatric disorder while the physiologic aspects are completely ignored. Although I filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in 2003, based on decisions made by a manager, Human Skills and Resources Development Canada (HSRDC), who stated to me that my hearing disability was irrelevant, and who also said that she did not need to see my file, which included medical documentation, I was ruled against citing Rights of Mobility, and a CHRT that supported that decision. HSRDC subsequently provided inaccurate information to me so that none of my balance protection was covered, rendering it impossible for me to earn any income. Essentially, they bankrupt me, and then ensured that, for at least six years, I cannot earn income. CHRC and HSRDC completely ignored the physiological aspects of the disability, and focused, instead, on the psychiatric effects caused by the lack of accommodation (depression, anxiety, dysthmia).

Subsequently, I have had little or no accommodation for my disability in housing, access to federal or provincial governments in that they refuse to communicate with me by email, stating that they are protecting my Privacy. This, despite having sent identification (passport, health, SIN) with signed Releases. Then government entities tell you to just live on the street if you can't handle it. Some with hyperacusis, although we can talk one-to-one, cannot use a telephone because of background noise, switchboards, tones on navigating through voice prompts, muzac, cannot be in offices, waiting lines, malls, for long, even with earplugs which do not work to truly block sound, so we are left in the position that we do not have access at all, because of government refusal to accommodate by emailing. This leaves us at risk for many punitive effects including housing, access to any government services at all. The response is that we should just wear earplugs, which is completely contra-indicated in the literature as relying on earplugs will, in fact, make hyperacusis even worse, and again, they really don't block sound, only make sound tolerable for limited amounts of time (15 minutes maybe). Societal response? Many of us are told to just “go live in a cave”. Many of us have extreme difficulty (pain) on higher frequencies and sharp shifts in dynamic range, ie., women and children have higher voices, therefore we are accused of not liking women and children.

It has always struck me that Canadian Forces lists hyperacusis under tinnitus as a diagnosis also to be ruled out – as a medical disability. It is on the civilian side of government that it is deemed “psychiatric”.

This is typical of the way that individuals with hyperacusis are treated, as noted in The Province newspaper on April 2, 2008 by Joey Thompson “Disabled worker's victory came too little too late”, link to article posted on the web page for this blog.


Although the , the Job Accommodation Network in the US lists accommodation for hyperacusis in employment as a quiet room costing $0.00, in Canada, this is rejected, at least in my experience. Similarly, with respect to employment, being provided with a quiet place to work (i.e., your own room), has been denied because the other staff might perceive it as preferential treatment. Telework is, for the most part, similarly dismissed as an option stating that “we have no way of keeping an eye on you”. In this day of internet, this is deplorable. This renders those with hyperacusis unemployable in most cases. This takes place in Britain, Canada and the United States.

Treatment (TRT Retraining Therapy) which has been shown to be of benefit in many cases, is not covered and therefore, for those who are diagnosed with hyperacusis and rendered unemployable because of handicapping, bankrupt, forced into destitution, the cost is out of reach.

Standard hearing tests do not include the sub-test that identifies Hyperacusis, either in children or adults (Loudness Discomfort Levels) and the response from education and government is, at minimum, obstructive4. For example, recent research has shown a correlation between ADHD and hyperacusis, however, to date, testing LDL's is not done, so these children are at risk for simply being labeled opposition defiant disorder and suchlike, because the physiological aspects of hyperacusis, and treatment, are not available in coverage. These children are at risk for becoming self-fulfilling prophecies. Hyperacusis at a young age is eminently treatable if it is tested for.

Yes, in my personal life (as noted in my blog written while under extreme reactive situational stress admittedly), I have arrived at the personal conclusion that my only option is to be deaf further to lack of accommodation, this petition is more to support testing, accommodation, access to government, the end of punitive administration of legislation, proper testing of LDL's and the physiological aspects of hyperacusis rather than it continuing to be labeled as a purely psychiatric disorder, TRT Retraining therapy be covered.

I will continue on my quest to be made deaf, so that I might have access to government and as noted above, however, this petition is really to support the diagnosis of hyperacusis, the specific testing for it in both children and adults, education, access to services, housing, coverage of treatment (TRT Retraining Therapy), employment accommodation, and the inclusion of the physiological aspects of hyperacusis so that we might no longer be labeled as purely psychiatric cases and have the physiological aspects addresses.