ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION AND THE UTILIZATION OF HEARING HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RELATED HEARING AID TECHNOLOGIES BY PARENTS OF DEAF AND SEVERELY HARD OF HEARING CHILDREN.

A survey was distributed nationwide to parents of deaf and hard of hearing children to inquire about their knowledge, acquisition and use of hearing rehabilitation services and related hearing aid care technologies. Two hundred and fifty-seven surveys were returned. The data revealed that parents with moderate to high incomes, regardless of their race or ethnicity, tend to have broader knowledge of the nature of hearing rehabilitation services, and acquire such services and hearing technologies at a rate greater than that of parents with lower incomes. The unavailability of hearing health care services in minority communities and high costs associated with hearing aids and cochlear implants were reported as the major reasons why disparities exist, particularly, among minorities.