Special Senses

Social Security Disability and vision, hearing and speech disorders

Vision, hearing and speech loss are easily measured with noninvasive and relatively inexpensive tests. Social Security will pay for these and we often request them to help establish a level of severity.

But the caloric testing for Meniere’s disease is not a test that Social Security will purchase. Meniere’s is usually diagnosed by a specialist upon review of testing as well as documentation of attacks. As such, the medical record often establishes frequency. Unfortunately, Social Security does not indicate what frequency is disabling.

Conditions covered under Listing of Impairments include

loss of visual acuity (acuteness or clearness of vision)

contraction of the visual fields (when the eye is fixed on a central point or loss of vision away from the center)

loss of visual efficiency (problems with gathering information, i.e. tracking, focus, teaming)

disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function (Meniere’s disease) loss of hearing,

loss of speech.

Helpful Questions:

Seeing

Have you had your vision tested?

Have you had laser surgery?

Hearing

Have you had a hearing test?

Do you wear hearing aids and if not, should you and if so why don’t you have them?

Do you have dizziness/balance problems and if so have you been referred for Meniere’s disease testing?

Do you have ringing in your ears (tinnitus)?

Speaking

Is our voice hard to hear?

Is your voice audible but not understandable to others?

Are you able to communicate but not for very long?

Special Senses & Speech & SSA disability

The Law offices of Suzanne Villalon-Hinojosa are located in Schertz, San Antonio and Edinburg Texas, serving all disabled Texans.

Optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve, is the most common visual disorder associated with MS.

Ménière disease is a syndrome in which you experience episodes of spinning vertigo (sense of the room spinning), hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear).

Optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve, is the most common visual disorder associated with MS.

Ménière disease is a syndrome in which you experience episodes of spinning vertigo (sense of the room spinning), hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear).