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Government Financial Help for Deaf People

People who are deaf want to be treated like everyone else, but sometimes their inability to hear and understand what others say makes them feel isolated and alone.
By taking advantage of special opportunities and adaptive devices, a deaf person can function at a high level in a hearing world.

  1. SSI for a Deaf Child

    • If your child is under 18 years of age and meets disability and income requirements, he may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

      When your application is considered by the Social Security Administration, your child’s income as well as the income of family members are considered. Your child must live with you or be away at school and come home occasionally.
      If the total income of all family members exceeds the allotted amount, your application will be denied.

      To be eligible for SSI, your child must not earn more than $980 a month (in 2009), must have a condition that severely limits his ability to function and must have the condition last at least one year or until the child’s death.

      A decision to determine disability may take three to five months, but for a child who is totally deaf, SSI payments will start immediately and continue for up to six months while Social Security determines disability.

    Low-Income Assistance

    • If you live in Somerville, Massachusetts, are deaf or hard of hearing and meet low-income requirements, the Community Action Agency in Somerville (CAAS) can help you stretch your budget.

      Low-income deaf parents can enroll children 3 to 5 years of age in CAAS Head Start. They can use their text telephone to access any services that CAAS offers. These services include food stamps, assistance with utilities, housing assistance and eviction prevention.

      Starting in January 2010, CAAS offers assistance with employment and training, provides legal assistance for residents living in apartments that don’t meet building code requirements, helps you search for housing and provides free help preparing your taxes.

      Installing text telephones is part of the commitment of CAAS to serve the diverse population of Somerville. In an article in "The Somerville News," CAAS Executive Director Kimberly Smith-Cofield said funds from the economic stimulus paid for some of the programs.

    Captioned Telephone

    • Depending on where you live, your state may provide Cap-Tel equipment at a free or reduced price if you suffer from hearing loss.

      When you want to place a call using the system, you dial the number, and as you’re dialing, your Cap-Tel phone is automatically connected to a free captioning service. When the person you called answers the phone, the captioning service displays the text of the conversation in a display window.

      People calling you dial the captioning service and then your number so that you can read the phone conversation text in the display window.

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