Impact of Hearing Impairment on Independent Travel in Individuals With Normal Vision, Low Vision, and Blindness.
Philip Reed, Joseph Paul Nemargut, Judith E Goldstein and 2 others
PMID 40438000WHAT IT FOUND
Blind individuals with hearing impairment reported significantly more difficulty localizing dynamic sounds like traffic than those with low vision.
Hearing aids helped with speech but were often rated unhelpful for sound localization, limiting independent travel safety.
Key findings
01Blind participants with hearing impairment were more likely to report travel limitations due to their hearing than low vision participants were.
02Blind participants reported significantly higher difficulty localizing dynamic sounds (like traffic) compared to those with low vision.
03Hearing aids were rated as always helpful for speech perception by the majority, but significantly fewer blind users found them always helpful for sound localization.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Participants self-reported their vision and hearing status; objective measures (audiograms, visual acuity charts) were not available for all, which may misclassify severity. The study used a convenience sample recruited from specific rehabilitation centers, which may not represent the general population. Hearing aid adoption was much higher (70%) than typical rates (30%), possibly skewing results toward a population already engaged in rehabilitation. Details about hearing aid models, fittings, and usage duration were not systematically collected, limiting insights into why localization failed.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute), Envision Inc., and Research to Prevent Blindness. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume hearing aids solve travel safety issues for blind patients. This study found that while hearing aids helped with speech, they were largely rated as unhelpful for sound localization, meaning patients may still be at high risk in dynamic traffic environments despite wearing devices.