Social Security Disability Benefits for Blindness and Hearing Loss

Coping with a life-changing injury is exhausting and frustrating. You are unable to work, and have to rely on others for support and care.

But what if, rather than dealing with the pain of an injury, you are unable to see or hear? Unfortunately, this is the case for thousands of people receiving disability benefits in Florida. Whether by a workplace accident, exposure to dangerous chemicals, or a degenerative condition, these victims have lost one of the senses that most people take for granted.

A few sensory injuries that may qualify you for Social Security disability benefits include:

• Statutory blindness. The clinical term for “legal blindness,” this condition means you are unable to see at all, even with the aid of corrective lenses.
• Partial blindness. The loss of vision in one eye, or partial vision in both eyes, may be covered for benefits if your vision is not expected to improve.
• Visual disorders. These are chronic conditions that cause temporary blindness, such as eyelid spasms or “blind spots” on the eye. They can be caused by neurodegenerative disorders, injuries to the eye or optic nerve, or a brain injury that has affected your vision.
• Hearing loss. Loss of hearing may be covered by Social Security, depending on the severity of the condition and whether it may be improved by a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
• Losing the ability to speak. Speech disorders are considered a disability as they can greatly affect communication. This includes severe stutters, mutism or anything that affects your ability to be understood.

As experienced Palm Beach Social Security disability attorneys, we know victims who are suffering from sensory injuries are in just as much pain as those suffering bodily ones. The loss of seeing, hearing, or speaking can cause great emotional trauma-especially if it means the loss of your livelihood as well.

That’s why Fetterman & Associates works so hard to get disabled workers in Florida the benefits they deserve. If your benefit application was denied, we can help you with your appeal or advise you on your one-on-one disability hearing to get your benefits approved.

If your Social Security benefits have been denied in Palm Beach, call us today at (866) 865-1244 for a free consultation.