Impairment, disability and handicap in audiology: towards a consensus

Abstract

Within this paper, we argue that the WHO definitions of impairment, disability and handicap have a useful role in understanding the processes of audiological rehabilitation. We have endeavoured to clarify some of the confusions arising from the various uses of the terms in the audiological literature and propose further classifications of the three. In particular we discuss the complexities of handicap together with the interactions between hearing-impaired individuals and their significant others in its production.