Introduction

Hearing impairment is a hidden disability. Without appropriate and timely intervention, it can handicap /prove to be detrimental to one’s quality of life and can occur at any phase in a lifetime. Hearing loss can stagnate/cease/languisha child^’s development by causing delays in language acquisition and hampering progress at school. Later in adult life, it can cause vocational and economic difficulties. Furthermore it can lead to stigmatization and increased social isolation, especially in the elderly.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), 642 million people are suffering from hearing loss, out of which 278 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing impairment. Over two-thirds of the people who would benefit from hearing aids live in developing countries. In these developing countries, people with hearing impairment could be assisted through the greater availability of and sustainable access to affordable, appropriate and acceptable hearing health care services. This is possibly the most effective way of substantially improving the quality of life of the hearing impaired.