2011 Volume 54 Issue 1 Pages 63-69
Until recently, grants for hearing aids by the welfare section of the Tochigi prefectural government were not offered to children with moderate hearing impairment, because those children did not meet the necessary requirements to obtain a certificate of physically disability. At our outpatient clinic, we have encountered many cases where the parents had difficulty in buying hearing aids. Since the children were in obvious need of hearing aids, we requested that the city and prefectural welfare office provide grants for these children. As a result, in accordance with guidelines and requirements similar to those laid out in the Services And Supports For People With Disabilities Act, both the city and prefecture began issuing grants in 2007. Thus far, 13 children out of 14 candidates (between March 2007 and May 2009) have been able to receive financial aid for buying hearing aids. However, some issues remain in the issuing of grants for hearing aids for moderately hearing-impaired children. First, the grants system is being run independently on a trial basis in Tochigi prefecture only, therefore, it is dependent on the limits of the city's budget, leaving its future uncertain. It is our hope that we can maintain active dialogue with the independent body overseeing the trials, and that this measure enacted by Tochigi will ultimately be adopted at the national level in the near future.
