Abstract Age-related hearing impairment is the most common type of hearing impairment among adults. Adult-onset hearing impairment is one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide and it is associated with social isolation and depression. As the proportion of older people is increasing in Western countries, the socioeconomic importance of adult hearing impairment will increase notably. The aim of the present contribution was to study the epidemiological aspects of hearing and related factors among older adults. The prevalence of hearing impairment, defined either by audiometry or by a self-report, and the differences between these two were analyzed. Tinnitus and hyperacusis were also studied. Furthermore, the prevalence of ear diseases, otological risk factors, and noise exposure and their association with hearing thresholds were analyzed. In addition, audiogram configurations and certain subject-related factors and their relation to hearing were assessed. The subjects were randomly sampled from the population register and they responded to an extensive questionnaire. Otological status was examined and pure tone audiometry was conducted. Data on 850 subjects aged 54–66 years were analyzed. Hearing impairment was found to be a highly common condition with a prevalence of 26.7% when defined by better ear and 42.2% when defined by worse ear. Men had worse hearing than women. High-frequency sloping audiogram configurations were common. Self-reported hearing difficulty and measured hearing impairment seem to be associated at high frequencies. At least one ear disease or otological risk factor for hearing impairment was found among 18.4% of the subjects and noise exposure among 46%, more often by men. Interestingly, noise exposure did not seem to associate with hearing levels among subjects screened for ear disease or otological risk factors. The results of the present study suggest that hearing impairment is a highly common condition among older adults and this should be taken into account when future hearing healthcare is planned. Furthermore, it seems that most of the subjects reporting hearing difficulty had no measured hearing impairment according to the criteria applied for eligibility for hearing aid fitting in Finland. Based on the results of the present study, the criteria for hearing impairment entitling persons for hearing aid fitting should be reconsidered. / Tiivistelmä Ikäkuulo on yleisin aikuisten kuulovian aiheuttaja, ja aikuisiän kuulovika on merkittävä terveydellinen haittatekijä. Kehittyneiden maiden ikäjakauman painottuessa vanhempiin ikäluokkiin aikuisten kuulovioista tulee merkittävä sosioekonominen rasite yhteiskunnille. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää aikuisten kuulovikojen epidemiologiaa ja kuulovikoihin liittyviä tekijöitä. Myös kuulovian vallitsevuus määriteltynä kuulokäyrän tai tutkittavan oman ilmoituksen perusteella selvitettiin. Samoin tutkittiin muita kuulemiseen liittyviä ongelmia, kuten tinnitusta ja ääniyliherkkyyttä. Edelleen arvioitiin erilaisten kuuloon vaikuttavien tekijöiden, kuten korvasairauksien, muiden kuulovian riskitekijöiden ja melulle altistumisen, vallitsevuutta väestössä sekä niiden assosiaatiota kuulemiseen. Näiden lisäksi tutkittiin kuulokäyrien muotoja ja niiden yhteyttä tutkittavan ilmoittamaan kuulo-ongelmaan. Tutkittavat valittiin satunnaisesti väestörekisteristä. He täyttivät laajan kyselylomakkeen, heidän korvansa tutkittiin lääkärin vastaanotolla ja lisäksi heille tehtiin kuulotutkimukset. Tutkimukseen osallistui 850 55–66-vuotiasta henkilöä. Tutkimus osoitti, että kuulovika on tässä ikäryhmässä hyvin yleinen löydös ja miehillä yleisempi kuin naisilla. Tutkittavan ilmoittama kuulovika ennusti mitattujen kuulokynnysten heikkenemistä korkeilla taajuuksilla (4–8 kHz). Samoin korkeille taajuuksille laskeva kuulokäyrän muoto oli yleisin. Erilaisia kuulovian riskitekijöitä raportoi 18.4 % tutkittavista. Tämän lisäksi 46 % kertoi merkittävästä altistumisesta melulle, miehet naisia useammin. Yllättäen melualtistumisella ei näyttänyt olevan yhteyttä kuulokynnyksiin siinä ryhmässä tutkittavia, joilla ei ollut korvaperäisiä riskitekijöitä kuulovialle. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että kuulovika on hyvin yleinen löydös tämän ikäisillä aikuisilla. Vanhenevat ikäluokat ovat merkittävä haaste kuulonhuollolle, ja tämä olisi otettava huomioon päätettäessä kuulonhuollon rahoituksesta. Useat niistä aikuisista, jotka kokivat kuulo-ongelmia, eivät kuulokäyrälöydöksensä mukaan täyttäneet Suomessa käytössä olevia kriteereitä kuulokojesovitukselle. Tämän tutkimuksen perusteella näyttääkin siltä, että kuntoutustarvetta arvioitaessa kuulovian kriteereitä tulisi kansallisesti tarkistaa ottamalla huomioon myös huonomman korvan kuulokynnykset sekä kuulon alenema korkeilla taajuuksilla.

In Sweden 13% of the general adult population (16-84 years), with or without hearing aids (HAs), report that they have difficulties following a conversation when more than two people are involved. This means that more than one million people in Sweden (9 500 000 inhabitants in total) report subjective hearing difficulties. Observations further indicate that that people with hearing impairment (HI) have an unfavorable position in the labor market. Individuals with HI report poorer health more frequently and estimate their own health to be worse than their normally-hearing peers. Increased unemployment, early health-related retirement and sick leaves are also more common for people with hearing loss compared to the population at large. The focus of the present thesis is employees with mild-moderate aided HI in the labor market. The research project had three general aims: 1) to develop knowledge about how HI interacts with cognitive abilities, and different types of work-related sound environments and workrelated tasks, 2) develop tests and assessment methods that allow for the analysis and assessment of perceived problems in clinical settings and 3) to develop knowledge that enables the possibility to provide recommendations of room acoustics and work-related tasks for employees with HI. Four studies were carried out. The studies presented in papers I-III are quantitative laboratory studies focusing on health related quality of life, cognition and effort and disturbance perceived in different types of occupational noise (daycare, office and traffic). Paper IV is a qualitative interview study aiming at exploring the conceptions of working life among employees with mild-moderate aided HI. The results from papers I-IV clearly demonstrate that noise has negative effects on employees with mild-moderate aided HI. In addition to generating significantly greater effort and disturbance, it is further reported from the participants that noise at work in combination with a HI has an impact on daily life. This includes a sense of exposure during work hours, physical and mental fatigue after work, and withdrawal from social situations in the work environment and leisure activities. None of the participants with HI performed significantly worse on the visual working tasks employed in this project compared to their normallyhearing peers. This thesis shows that employees with HI objectively perform the employed  working tasks at a level similar to a well-matched normally-hearing control group. Instead, the findings of this thesis indicates that working in a noisy environment with a HI occurs at the expense of this group reporting significantly worse results on subjective measurements, including greater effort and disturbance, and lower physical health status. Interviews with these participants further confirm that these effects are indeed mostly due to noise at the workplace which could have a negative impact both physically, mentally and socially during and after work hours. The main findings of this thesis demonstrate that there is a need for extensive services for employees with HI even after a HA fitting. This thesis therefore emphasizes the importance of identifying the need for assistive listening devices, examining the room acoustics of the individual’s work setting and providing the workplace with information about the consequences of having a HI in order to facilitate communication at work. The latter is especially important as colleagues showing support and employers making adjustments at the workplace (technically or acoustically) are facilitating factors that would benefit both employees with HI and those with normal hearing. Additional research should focus on including and comparing other types of cognitive tests, work-related noises and working tasks. More research is also needed to unravel the complex area of research between factors such as cognitive processes, hearing and effort. / Tidigare forskning har visat att yrkesverksamma hörselskadade oftast har en mindre gynnsam position på arbetsmarknaden. Statistik visar att gruppen upplever en högre grad av trötthet och en lägre grad av arbetstillfredställelse. Avhandlingen har tre övergripande syften: 1) att utveckla ny teoretisk kunskap om hur hörselnedsättning samspelar med kognitiva förmågor, arbetsrelaterad ljudmiljö och typ av arbetsuppgifter, och 2) utveckla test- och utredningsmetoder ger möjlighet till analys och diagnos av upplevda problem samt 3) utveckla kunskap som ger möjlighet till åtgärd och anpassning av ljudmiljöer och arbetsuppgifter på arbetsplatser för hörselskadade. Projektets resultat visar på att yrkesverksamma med hörselnedsättning rapporterar en lägre fysisk hälsostatus och att en högre grad av upplevd ansträngning samt störning kan upplevas när de utför olika arbetsuppgifter i buller. Detta beror bland annat på att de kognitiva förmågorna blir mer belastade i en bullrig miljö och att hörselskadade är mer känsliga för höga bullernivåer. Djupintervjuer med gruppen visar även på att fysisk trötthet upplevs även efter jobbet som i sin tur kan leda till psykosociala konsekvenser för individen. Denna avhandling visar att de negativa effekterna av buller redan ses vid en lätt-måttlig hörselnedsättning hos en grupp som redan använder hörapparater. Från ett kliniskt perspektiv innebär det att dagens rehabiliteringsåtgärder bör vara mer omfattande än endast hörapparaturprovning för denna grupp. Tekniska hjälpmedel (FM-system, streamers, hörslinga, etc.) är viktiga för yrkesverksamma med hörselskada och information om konsekvenserna av att leva med en hörselnedsättning bör nås ut till arbetsgivare och kollegor för att underlätta kommunikation på jobbet.

A herança autossômica recessiva pode ser responsável por aproximadamente 77% dos casos de surdez hereditária. Em 1996, Chaib e col. mapearam o loco responsável por surdez profunda neurossensorial de herança recessiva na região cromossômica 2p22-23 (DFNB9). Em 1999, Yasunaga e col. identificaram esse gene como o que codifica a proteína OTOFerlina (OTOF) nessa região. Até hoje, já foram descritas 31 mutações patogênicas diferentes no gene OTOF em populações de várias origens, com destaque a mutação Q829X que foi encontrada em ~3% dos casos de surdez na Espanha (Migliosi e col., 2002; Rodríguez-Ballesteros e col., 2003). Alguns pacientes com mutações no gene OTOF apresentavam neuropatia auditiva, um tipo de deficiência auditiva neurossensorial caracterizada pela ausência ou anomalia das ondas no exame dos Potenciais Evocados Auditivos do Tronco Encefálico ou BERA com a presença das emissões otoacústicas e/ou microfonismo coclear. O objetivo desse projeto foi investigar a contribuição relativa das mutações no gene OTOF ao casos de neuropatia auditiva e de outros tipos surdez em famílias brasileiras. Uma amostra de 343 propósitos portadores de deficiência auditiva foi submetida ao estudo da mutação Q829X. Não foi identificada em nenhum caso. Dessa casuística foram selecionados 48 propósitos de famílias com consangüinidade ou com 2 ou mais afetados na irmandade e quatro pacientes com neuropatia auditiva e com consangüinidade parental ou com dois ou mais afetados na irmandade. Além disso, foram também selecionados 7 casos isolados com neuropatia auditiva e 5 casos de portadores de alterações no tronco encefálico. Essa amostra totalizou 64 propósitos. Propósitos dessas 64 famílias foram genotipados em relação a cinco marcadores de microssatélites ligados ao gene OTOF. A análise dos haplótipos excluiu ligação ao gene OTOF em 34 casos, 19 não eram conclusivos e 11 indicaram possibilidade de ligação ao gene OTOF (incluindo uma família com pais consangüíneos e neuropatia auditiva e três propósitos com neuropatia auditiva). Simultaneamente, os 64 propósitos foram triados para mutações em oito exons do gene OTOF, nos quais mutações já haviam sido descritas, por meio de SSCP seguido de seqüenciamento. Os 11 casos com resultados compatíveis com ligação ao gene OTOF (4 com neuropatia auditiva) e os sete casos de neuropatia auditiva foram selecionados para o seqüenciamento de todos os exons (total de 18 propósitos). Identificamos no total 58 alterações diferentes. Onze variantes eram potencialmentes patogênicas, encontradas em sete dos propósitos, todos pertencentes ao grupo dos 18 selecionados. Quatro casos eram heterozigotos compostos [98G>A (R33Q) e 2401G>T e 2402A>T (E801L)]; [1841G>A (G614E) e 3239G>C (R1080P)], [3751T>G (C1251G) e 5431A>T (K1811X)] e [2348delG (G783fs) e 5800-5801insC (L1934fs)], dois eram heterozigotos [1552-1567del16 (R518fs); 2905- 2923del19ins11 (A969fs)] sem que uma segunda mutação fosse detectada e um apresentava a mutação em homozigose [3400C>T (R1134X)]. Desses sete propósitos com mutações patogênicas, somente um paciente com mutação em heterozigose não apresentava neuropatia auditiva. Dentre os 11 casos com neuropatia auditiva, seis tinham pelo menos uma mutação no gene OTOF que poderia ser a causa de surdez. Esse achado reforça a associação entre o fenótipo da neuropatia auditiva e mutações no gene OTOF. A variante Q829X não foi encontrada nenhuma vez em nossa amostra, portanto, não deve ser causa importante de surdez na nossa população. Porém, nosso estudo mostra que mutações no gene OTOF são causas freqüentes de neuropatia auditiva no Brasil (mais de 50% dos casos). Nossos resultados reforçam a hipótese que pacientes com neuropatia auditiva devem ser selecionados para pesquisa de mutações no gene OTOF e que talvez mais de 50% dos casos de neuropatia auditiva tenham causa genética. / 77% of nonsyndromic prelingual deafness have an autosomal recessive inheritance. In 1996, Chaib et al. mapped a locus associated with sensorineural nonsyndromic recessive deafness to chromosome region 2p22-23 (DFNB9) by linkage studies. In 1999, Yasunaga et al. identified the OTOF gene encoding OTOFerlin, in this region. To date, there are 31 different pathogenic mutations described in the OTOF gene, from populations of variable origins. A Q829X mutation was found at a frequency of ~3% of deafness in Spain (Migliosi e col., 2002; Rodríguez-Ballesteros e col., 2003). Some affected individuals with mutations in the OTOF gene were reported to present auditory neuropathy, a type of deafness characterized by an absent or severely abnormal auditory brainstem response, with preservation of otoacoustic emissions and/or cochlear microphonics. The main purpose of this project was to investigate the relative contribution of OTOF mutations to auditory neuropathy and other type of deafness, amongst Brazilian families. We enrolled 343 Brazilian unrelated subjects with nonsyndromic hearing loss. A specific test for the Q829X mutation was performed first. We failed to find any subjects carrying this mutation. From this group, we selected 48 probands from families with consanguinity or with two or more affected sibs and four probands with diagnosis of auditory neuropathy and from consanguineous unions or with two or more affected sibs. In addition, we selected 7 isolated subjects with auditory neuropathy and 5 cases with diagnosis of brainstem alteration. This gave a total of 64 probands. Subjects from the 64 families were genotyped for five microsatellites markers, linked to the OTOF gene. The analysis of the haplotype excluded linkage to the OTOF gene in 34 families, it was inconclusive in 19 families and it showed compatibility with linkage in the remaining 11 families (including one with consanguineous parents and auditory neuropathy and three with diagnosis of auditory neuropathy). Simultaneously, the 64 subjects were screened for mutations in 8 exons previously identified to other mutations using the SSCP technique. In positive cases, DNA sequencing was carried out. In the 11 subjects consistent with putative linkage to OTOF gene and the 7 isolated cases of auditory neuropathy, an exon by exon screening for mutations in the OTOF gene was performed using DNA sequencing (Total of 18 subjects). We found a total of 58 different variants. Eleven were possibly causative mutations and were found in seven of the 18 subjects. Amongst them, four cases were compound heterozygotes R33Q with E801L, G614E with E1080P, 2348delG with 5800-5801insC and K1811X with C1251G, two cases were heterozygotes [1552- 1567del16 and 2905-2923del19in11] without a second mutation and one presented a mutation in homozygous form [3400C>T (R1134X)]. Among these seven probands, only one patient with a heterozygote mutation did not have a diagnosis of auditory neuropathy. In the 11 cases of auditory neuropathy, six had at least one mutation in the OTOF gene that is the probable cause of their deafness. These findings support the association between auditory neuropathy and mutations in the OTOF gene. While we failed to confirm the high frequency of Q829X mutation found in Spain, our study shows that mutations in the OTOF gene are frequent causes of auditory neuropathy in Brazil (more than 50%). Our results reinforced that patients with auditory neuropathy must be selected for mutation detection in the OTOF gene and that more than 50% of cases of auditory neuropathy have a defined genetic etiology.

Si bien ha estado tradicionalmente asociado al acceso a espacios físicos, el concepto de accesibilidad comprende también la integración social y cultural de las personas con discapacidad. Una manera de lograrlo es mediante la accesibilidad a productos audiovisuales. En países como Estados Unidos, España o Finlandia, se han registrado propuestas y estudios de subtítulos para personas con discapacidad auditiva tanto en la televisión, el cine y los videojuegos, pero muy pocas en el teatro. En el Perú, tanto las propuestas como los estudios de traducción para la accesibilidad en cualquier ámbito son escasos. Recientemente, en el año 2019, el Teatro Británico ha empezado a ofrecer funciones de teatro inclusivas para personas con discapacidad auditiva. La difusión de productos culturales accesibles en el Perú es un servicio nuevo y no existen estudios al respecto. Por ello, el presente estudio busca analizar la recepción de los subtítulos para personas sordas de la obra teatral Hedda, producida por el Teatro Británico. Nuestra investigación tiene un enfoque cualitativo, pues busca describir la recepción de esta obra accesible por un grupo de diez participantes con discapacidad auditiva. A través de una encuesta, se conocerá su perfil sociocultural y sus reacciones y comprensión frente a la obra subtitulada. De esta manera, se busca establecer un diálogo entre las perspectivas de la teoría sobre el estudio de la recepción del subtitulado para sordos de obras teatrales y los resultados de su aplicación en la práctica desde la perspectiva de la comunidad sorda. / Although it has traditionally been associated with access to physical spaces, the concept of accessibility also includes the social and cultural integration of people with disability. One way to achieve this is through accessibility to audiovisual products. Proposals and studies regarding subtitles for the hearing impaired have been registered in countries such as the United States, Spain or Finland, both on television, movies and on video games, but very few in theater. In Peru, both the proposals and the studies of translation for accessibility in any field are limited. In 2019, El Teatro Británico has started offering inclusive theater performances for people with hearing impairment. The dissemination of accessible cultural products in Peru is a new service and there are no studies on it. Therefore, the present study seeks to analyze the reception of the subtitles for the hearing impaired of the play “Hedda”, produced by El Teatro Británico. Our research has a qualitative approach, as it seeks to describe the reception of this accessible play by a group of ten participants with hearing impairment. Their sociocultural profile, reactions and understanding of the subtitled play will be known through a survey. In this way, it seeks to establish a dialogue between the perspectives of theater subtitling for the deaf theory and the results of its application from the perspective of the deaf community. / Trabajo de investigación

Title: Quality of life in adult users of cochlear implant before and after the implantation Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the degree of life satisfaction with a cochlear implant (CI) in postlingually deaf people, who lost their hearing after acquiring speech skills - i.e. after the 7th year of life. Methods: The research was realized by its own anonymous semi-structured survey, which contained 31 questions in total. Then was the survey was provided through a website and sent out using e-mail addresses, with a total of 29 adult respondents completing it. Results: The predominant majority (52 %) of respondents agreed, that CI provided them with the same or better benefit, than they themselves expected. At the same time, they assessed the hearing and understanding in each area with a score of 2 - so that, there was improvement in all areas. The predominant majority of respondents did not need more time to think about implantation and also get together good or rather good feelings from hearing at the first setup. Regular sports respondents stated that they had performed the same sport before implantation. With regard to the epidemiological situation, an overwhelming majority (93 %) respondents stated, that get together a decrease of understanding by others people, who are using a...

This work examines the situation of hearing impaired students in Swedish mainstream upper-secondary schools, with special focus on English classes. According to the Swedish Curriculum all students should be offered an equivalent education, based on participation and community within the public school system. Although students with a disability have the same right to receive a satisfactory education it is not yet clear how this will be achieved with students with a hearing impairment. The authors, through semi-structured interview, ask three teachers and two pupils about how they perceive their situation when teaching, respectively learning English. The qualitative study shows the difficulties in the integration process of the hearing impaired students, in particular the obstacles these students face when socializing with their peers and the shortage of sufficient assistive devices, as well as pedagogical and didactic support.

This thesis deals with observing differences in vocabulary in sign language with hearing impaired kids at school age who visit elementary school for hearing impaired. This work is divided between two parts, theoretical and practical. This part is divided into three chapters. First chapter deals with the importance of hearing and classification of the hearing impairment and diagnostics. In this thesis is also included speech development of hearing impaired children and hearing children. Next part also contains of specific features occurring in speech of the hearing impaired people. It includes a list of tests which can be used to evaluate vocabulary with children. The last chapter of the theoretical part describes the development of the child during school age. The theoretical part deals with vocabulary in sign language of children with hearing impairment at primary school for the hearing impaired. The research is processed in qualitative form and the main goal of the thesis is to see what differences can be observed in vocabulary of children with hearing impairment and verify whether the selected test material is suitable for working with these children. The test material could be a guidance for people how to work with these children while verifying their vocabulary knowledge KEY WORDS hearing...

<p>Denna uppsats är en C-uppsats i socialt arbete. Syftet med uppsatsen är att förstå och beskriva hörselskadades situation avseende högskolestudier. Fyra specifika frågeställningar har formulerats: - Hur ser tillgängligheten ut, hur ser de formella mötena ut, hur ser de informella mötena ut och på vad sätt inverkar hörselskadan?</p><p>Studien har en kvalitativ ansats med hermeneutiska inslag. Intervjuer har gjorts med sex hörselskadade som berättat om sina upplevelser kring sin egen studiesituation. Intervjuguiden var halvstrukturerad, och urvalet strategiskt.</p><p>Resultatet visar att tillgängligheten på universitet får sägas vara avgörande, beroende på vilken aspekt av tillgängligheten som det är fråga om. Studenterna tycker det är av vikt att det finns möjlighet att ta sin lärare eller föreläsares tid i anspråk vid de formella mötena. I de informella mötena lägger studenterna fokus på att berätta om två specifika möten och tre specifika aspekter. Resultatet från på vilket sätt hörselskadan inverkar, visar att det beror på situation till situation om hörselskadan inverkar på ett negativt sätt, eller om den nästan inte inverkar alls. Ett genomgående drag från alla sex studenternas utsagor är att det ”hänger” mycket på studenten själv om studenten ska lyckas eller inte i sina studier. Envishet, vilja, att våga tro på sig själv, vara modig och att inte ge sig är egenskaper som studenterna själva upplever att det är bra att ha som hörselskadad student i högskolestudier.</p><p>Två slutsatser har dragits. Den ena är att de hörselskadade studenterna har ett visst inflytande i möten med tolkar, samt i möten med personal som jobbar med teknisk service. Däremot saknar studenterna inflytande för att själva kunna ha makt och kontroll kring sin egen studiesituation, i mötet med universitetet som organisation. De studenter som har lättast att lyckas i sina studier är de som innehar egenskaperna envishet, vilja, att våga tro på sig själva, vara modiga och inte ge sig.</p><p>Den andra slutsatsen är att fortfarande, sju år efter det att Antonson (1998) i en avhandling om hörselskadade i högskolestudier, gav förslag på betydelsefulla åtgärder (se bilaga 1 i denna uppsats), tycks ingen märkbar förändring ha skett.</p><p>Nyckelord: Integration, inkluderad, hörselskada, studiesituation, högskola, högskolestudier. Ytterligare nyckelord är tillgänglighet, informella möten, formella möten och hörselskadans inverkan.</p> / <p>This study is a study in social work. The comprehensive aim with this study is to understand och describe hearing-impairment´s situation reference to university studies. Four specific questions have been formulated, these are; - How does the accessibility look like? How does the formal meetings look like? How does the informal meetings look like, and what kind of way the hearing-impairment influence?</p><p>The study has a qualitative attempt with hermeneutic touch. Interviews have been permormed with six hearing-impairment students, that had explain about their experiences about their own study situation.The interview guide was half-structured, and the selection was strategic.</p><p>The result shows that the accessibility on the university is decisive on, which aspect of the accessibility that presents. The students point out that it is possible to lay claim to their teacher or lecture´s time in the formal meetings. In the informal meetings, the students focus is to tell about two specific meetings and three specific aspects. The result from on what kind of way the hearing-impairment influence, shows that it depends from situation to situation if the hearing-impairment influence negative or if it does not influence at all. A constant touch from all the six student is that it is much up to the student itself to succeed or not, reference to the studies. Stubborness, good will, believe in itself, be brave and not give up, is qualities that the students experience that it is good to have as a hearing-impairment student in university studies.</p><p>One conclusion is that hearing-impairment students have some influence reference to the meetings with the intepreters, and the meetings with personal from the technical service. On the other hand, the students missing influence to themself, to have power and control, reference to their own study situation, in the meeting with the university as a organization. The students whom have easiest to success in their studies is the students who have the qualities stubborness, good will, believe in themself, be brave and not give up.</p><p>An other conclusion is that still, seven years since Antonson (1998) in a study about hearing-impairment in university studies, gave proposal to important measures (see enclosure 1 in this study), it seems to no noticeable change have been done.</p><p>Keywords: integration, inclusion, hearing-impairment, studysituation, university and universitystudies, accessibility, informal meetings, formal meetings and the hearing-impairment´s influence.</p>

Denna uppsats är en C-uppsats i socialt arbete. Syftet med uppsatsen är att förstå och beskriva hörselskadades situation avseende högskolestudier. Fyra specifika frågeställningar har formulerats: - Hur ser tillgängligheten ut, hur ser de formella mötena ut, hur ser de informella mötena ut och på vad sätt inverkar hörselskadan? Studien har en kvalitativ ansats med hermeneutiska inslag. Intervjuer har gjorts med sex hörselskadade som berättat om sina upplevelser kring sin egen studiesituation. Intervjuguiden var halvstrukturerad, och urvalet strategiskt. Resultatet visar att tillgängligheten på universitet får sägas vara avgörande, beroende på vilken aspekt av tillgängligheten som det är fråga om. Studenterna tycker det är av vikt att det finns möjlighet att ta sin lärare eller föreläsares tid i anspråk vid de formella mötena. I de informella mötena lägger studenterna fokus på att berätta om två specifika möten och tre specifika aspekter. Resultatet från på vilket sätt hörselskadan inverkar, visar att det beror på situation till situation om hörselskadan inverkar på ett negativt sätt, eller om den nästan inte inverkar alls. Ett genomgående drag från alla sex studenternas utsagor är att det ”hänger” mycket på studenten själv om studenten ska lyckas eller inte i sina studier. Envishet, vilja, att våga tro på sig själv, vara modig och att inte ge sig är egenskaper som studenterna själva upplever att det är bra att ha som hörselskadad student i högskolestudier. Två slutsatser har dragits. Den ena är att de hörselskadade studenterna har ett visst inflytande i möten med tolkar, samt i möten med personal som jobbar med teknisk service. Däremot saknar studenterna inflytande för att själva kunna ha makt och kontroll kring sin egen studiesituation, i mötet med universitetet som organisation. De studenter som har lättast att lyckas i sina studier är de som innehar egenskaperna envishet, vilja, att våga tro på sig själva, vara modiga och inte ge sig. Den andra slutsatsen är att fortfarande, sju år efter det att Antonson (1998) i en avhandling om hörselskadade i högskolestudier, gav förslag på betydelsefulla åtgärder (se bilaga 1 i denna uppsats), tycks ingen märkbar förändring ha skett. Nyckelord: Integration, inkluderad, hörselskada, studiesituation, högskola, högskolestudier. Ytterligare nyckelord är tillgänglighet, informella möten, formella möten och hörselskadans inverkan. / This study is a study in social work. The comprehensive aim with this study is to understand och describe hearing-impairment´s situation reference to university studies. Four specific questions have been formulated, these are; - How does the accessibility look like? How does the formal meetings look like? How does the informal meetings look like, and what kind of way the hearing-impairment influence? The study has a qualitative attempt with hermeneutic touch. Interviews have been permormed with six hearing-impairment students, that had explain about their experiences about their own study situation.The interview guide was half-structured, and the selection was strategic. The result shows that the accessibility on the university is decisive on, which aspect of the accessibility that presents. The students point out that it is possible to lay claim to their teacher or lecture´s time in the formal meetings. In the informal meetings, the students focus is to tell about two specific meetings and three specific aspects. The result from on what kind of way the hearing-impairment influence, shows that it depends from situation to situation if the hearing-impairment influence negative or if it does not influence at all. A constant touch from all the six student is that it is much up to the student itself to succeed or not, reference to the studies. Stubborness, good will, believe in itself, be brave and not give up, is qualities that the students experience that it is good to have as a hearing-impairment student in university studies. One conclusion is that hearing-impairment students have some influence reference to the meetings with the intepreters, and the meetings with personal from the technical service. On the other hand, the students missing influence to themself, to have power and control, reference to their own study situation, in the meeting with the university as a organization. The students whom have easiest to success in their studies is the students who have the qualities stubborness, good will, believe in themself, be brave and not give up. An other conclusion is that still, seven years since Antonson (1998) in a study about hearing-impairment in university studies, gave proposal to important measures (see enclosure 1 in this study), it seems to no noticeable change have been done. Keywords: integration, inclusion, hearing-impairment, studysituation, university and universitystudies, accessibility, informal meetings, formal meetings and the hearing-impairment´s influence.

The diploma thesis deals with adjustments and consequent application of texts in the field of education of pupils with hearing disorders, and investigates potential advantages and disadvantages of such adjustments. Texts have been used practically at three elementary schools for hearing impaired pupils. Primary school pupils were given unedited texts, and consequently their edited versions, and the comprehensibility of texts from the reader's perspective was tested. A fairy tale and a fable were chosen for the research. The acquired answers to questions aimed at the content of given texts were then processed and formulated in the conclusion of the research. KEYWORDS: reading, communication systems for people with hearing impairment, deaf pupil, hearing, hearing impairment, text modified