Hipoacusia and gender ¿factors of double discrimination? A study In the araucanía

Abstract

This work presents a qualitative study regarding severe and deep hearing impairment problems by analyzing gender and handicapped categories together. The main objective is to know the perception and experience of women diagnosed with severe to deep hearing loss when accessing to public services. The motivation is based on the social relevance and the practical implications hearing loss has on the life of people, especially in their education and when they request a public service. The problem was analyzed through ten interviews and a woman’s lifestyle story, all of them diagnosed with severe to deep hearing impairment by applying a phenomenological approach. The main results indicate that women with hearing impairment present several difficulties when trying to have a quality education, and thus, they have fewer opportunities to get a well-paid job they feel discriminated when trying to make use of public services. This is turned into frustration, pain and low self-esteem for them, affecting their personal relationships and social performance. This implies the urgent need for positive public policies for this social group.