Animals can make a tremendous difference in the life of a deaf person. Beside the support with daily tasks a service animal can offer, the emotional support pets provide shouldn't be discounted, either. Many deaf persons can attest to the benefits a service animal or loving pet can offer; they often foster a more comfortable and fulfilling life for a deaf person.
Hearing Service Dogs
Most people are familiar with seeing eye dogs that help the blind, but hearing dogs are increasingly common. Hearing service dogs facilitate a deaf person's life by alerting him of important sounds, such as a baby's cry, a doorbell or a ringing telephone, according to Assistance Dogs International, Inc. Dogs are specially trained to alert a deaf person by touching them with a paw when sounds arise that require attention. The dog then leads the deaf person to the source of the sound. Dogs can be trained to take a special posture when indicating sounds that require more attention, such as a fire alarm or the sound of an intruder.
Companion Animals
An animal that serves as a pet can provide immeasurable emotional support to any person, disabled or not. A pet can provide companionship and give someone a purpose by having something to care for. Although there are therapy animals that help disabled persons emotionally, such as animals that visit nursing homes and hospitals, they are not classified as service animals and are not offered public access under the Americans with Disabilities Act , according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Lives are often enriched by the presence of a pet, so deaf and non-deaf persons alike can benefit from inviting a pet into their household.
Significance
The hearing population can take for granted how easy it is to know when the phone is ringing or when a fire alarm is sounding, but for the deaf community, acknowledging these sounds isn't so simple. That's why service dogs who help alert a deaf person to everyday sounds such as a door bell, and unusual sounds such as a window breaking, can be life-saving and life-enriching. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows access to all public places to deaf persons with hearing dogs. Service dogs can provide the dual role of emotional companion to a deaf person along with their service duties. Although the animals trained for other disabled persons include trained service dogs, cats and even monkeys, dogs are the only animals that work as hearing service animals to the deaf, according to Advocacy for Animals.
References
- US Department of Justice: American Disabilities Act
- Assistance Dogs International, Inc: Hearing Dogs
- NEADS Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans: Hearing Dogs
- New Hampshire Governor's Commission on Disability: Service/Assistance Animals
- Advocacy for Animals: Service Animals Help Humans Lead Fuller Lives
