Publication:

Experience of helmet usage among hearing aid users: a cross sectional study

Background In India, persons with hearing impairment who benefit from hearing aids can acquire a driving license.  The law mandates helmet use while driving two-wheelers. Using a hearing aid with a helmet on may be a challenge, but it is paramount to understand the difficulties the hearing aid users face.

Methods A cross-sectional research design was used to study the experience of hearing aid users who ride two-wheelers. A checklist was developed and administered to 15 individuals with hearing impairment who ride two-wheelers. The checklist had 11 questions under three domains; 'helmet related,' 'comfort related', and 'driving/ listening related.  The study was carried out in and around Bangalore. The data was collected through the interview method.

Results The subjects reported difficulties in the comfort-related and driving/listening-related domains. Many participants felt the need to modify the helmet design to suit hearing aid users. They also felt a need for a special program for driving mode in the hearing aids.

Conclusions Hearing-impaired two-wheeler riders face problems in localization, fear of hearing aid falling, and sweating using hearing aids while driving.  It affects them on two fronts.  One, it may pose a risk to others or the hearing impaired themselves on the road. Second, avoiding riding two-wheelers may limit their rights and mobility.