SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN AGED 5—14 WITH DISABILITIES IN CANADA: An analysis of data on needs and gaps

Section I: Aids and Devices

Persons with disabilities can utilize a wide range of aids and devices in their everyday life to facilitate in a variety of activities. In this section, we examine requirements for aids and devices as well as the level of unmet need.

Magnitude and Nature of the Requirements

Just Over Half of All Adults with Disabilities Require an Assistive Aid or Device

Of the 3.4 million adults with disabilities in Canada in 2001, over 2 million (2,008,460) require assistive aids or devices of some type. This represents just over half (57%) of all adults with disabilities.

Of All Those Requiring an Aid/Device, Just Over Half (52%) Are Working Age Adults

Of the 2 million adults who require aids or devices, 1,043,140 are non-seniors (ages 15 to 64) and 965,310 are seniors (65+). This means that just over half, 52% of all those requiring an aid or device, are working age adults.

Seniors More Likely to Require Aids and Devices than Non-seniors

However, if we look at things a little differently, it is important to note that the rate at which seniors and non-seniors require aids or devices differs. In fact, seniors with disabilities have a higher rate of requiring aids or devices than do non-seniors — 66% versus 53%.

The reason we see non-seniors presently comprising a slightly higher proportion of all those requiring an aid or device (see previous sub-section), is that the baby boom generation comprises such a large proportion of the population itself. And this generation is now just on the brink of entering their senior years. We also know that the rate of disability increases with age.

This means that, as the baby boom generation enters their senior years, they will begin to comprise an even higher proportion of all persons with disabilities than they do now. If they also adopt the same rate of requiring an aid or device as today's seniors, the requirements for aids and devices in the total population could more than double in the next 20 years.⁷

Women and Men Are Almost Equally Likely to Require an Aid or Device

About three out of five men (58%) and women (59%) with disabilities require an aid or device for their disability. However, because there are more women than men with disabilities (this is in part due to gender differences in life expectancy) we see a higher total number of women (1,118,890) requiring aids or devices than men (889,560).

Likelihood of Requiring an Aid or Device Increases with Severity of Disability

The likelihood of requiring an aid or device increases with the severity of the disability—ranging from 37% of persons with mild disabilities up to 89% of persons with very severe disabilities requiring an assistive device or aid.

The Most Commonly Required Aids and Devices are Related to Mobility, Hearing, Agility and Seeing Disabilities

Assistive aids and devices can be classified into 7 broad types (using PALS data) based upon the nature of the disability typically leading to such a requirement. By far, the most commonly required aids and devices are those designed for mobility disabilities (Chart 1.7). Of those who have some requirement for an assistive aid or device, 53% (1,064,420 adults with disabilities out of 2,008,460) report a requirement for a mobility-related aid or device.

Aids and devices related to hearing disabilities are the second most commonly required group of aids and devices with 31% (618,820 adults with disabilities out of 2,008,460) of those reporting some requirement for an assistive aid or device needing them.⁸

"Other" aids/devices represent the third most commonly required group with about 27% (544,070 out of 2,008,460) of those reporting some requirement for an assistive aid or device needing something from this category. This "other" category includes aids/devices that were not classified under a specific disability type such as respiratory aids/devices and devices for pain control such as T.E.N.S.⁹ Almost tied for third place, are seeing-related aids and devices that are also required by about 27% of those reporting some need for an aid or device (542,970 adults with disabilities out of 2,008,460).¹⁰

The fifth most commonly required aids and devices are related to agility disabilities with 13% (257,640 adults with disabilities out of 2,008,460) reporting a need.

Aids and devices related to learning disabilities and to speech disabilities are the least commonly required among those who require some aid or device.

Those with a Seeing Disability Actually Most Likely to Require an Aid or Device Related to Their Disability

The number of persons requiring a type of aid or device related to a specific disability is a function of both the number of persons with that disability type and the rate at which persons with that type of disability require a related aid or device.

As just noted, aids and devices related to mobility disabilities are the most commonly required type of aid or device among all persons with disabilities who require any type of aid or device. However, this is, in part, due to the fact that the most prevalent type of disability is a mobility disability affecting about 72% of all adults with disabilities aged 15 and over.

We can look at the figures for requirements for aids and devices a bit differently if we compare individuals with different types of disabilities and the likelihood of each type requiring an aid or device related to that specific disability type (Chart 1.8). While mobility-related aids and devices are the most commonly required type of aid or device among all persons with disabilities, persons with mobility disabilities are not the most likely of all the disability types to require an aid or device related to that disability. Among those with a mobility disability, 43% report requiring some type of aid or device related to their mobility disability. However, it is actually those with a seeing disability who are the most likely to require an aid or device related to their seeing disability; 91% of those with a seeing disability require some type of seeing-related aid or device. It is important to remember, however, that more than half of those requiring a seeing-related aid or device are individuals who require only eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Those with hearing disabilities are the next most likely to require some type of aid or device related to their hearing disability with 56% reporting such a requirement. Third on this list (Chart 1.8), are those with mobility disabilities among whom 43% have a requirement for some type of mobility-related aid or device. Those with speech disabilities are the least likely to require a speech-related aid or device with only 6% of those with a speech disability reporting a requirement for a speech-related aid or device.

There are a variety of reasons why one disability type is more likely than another to lead to a requirement for aids and devices. One reason might lie with differences in technology. For some types of disabilities, there may simply not be a lot of aids or devices available that can enable function. This could be due to fewer research and development resources being applied to developing aids and devices related to a particular type of disability as well as to greater challenges involved in developing aids and devices aimed at some types of disabilities. It is also possible that the PALS questionnaire did not inquire specifically about a wide enough range of aids and devices.

Some Require an Aid or Device from More than One Grouping

Some individuals require aids and devices from more than one grouping since some individuals have more than one type of disability. If we add up the requirements listed for each of the 7 groupings, we find 3,132,500 reported requirements—this represents an average of 1.56 groupings per individual with any requirement for some type of aid or device.

Which Specific Aid or Device is Most Required?

Within each of the seven groupings of aids and devices are a number of sub-devices or specific aids or devices related to each type of disability. The most required specific aid/device listed in PALS is a cane or walking stick; this mobility-related aid is required by 679,560 people (Table 1.1). Over half a million (520,170) required eyeglasses or contact lenses.¹¹ And, a little over half a million (501,980) require another mobility-related type of aid—grab bars or bathroom aids. The prominence of mobility-related aids and devices on this list of required aids/devices is evident. However, the prominence of hearing-related devices is also evident. Unfortunately, we are unable to determine the true requirement for hearing aids from the PALS. We are able to determine that at least 397,970 people 'use' hearing aids; however, unlike with the other sub-devices, respondents were not asked if they 'needed' hearing aids that they did not have.¹² This oversight in the questionnaire results in an estimate of the requirement for hearing aids that is very low. It should be used with caution.

Table 1.1
Requirements for Specific Devices by Disability Type
	Disability Type	Total requiring
Cane or walking stick	mobility	679,560
Glasses	seeing	520,170
Grab bars or bathroom aids	mobility	501,980
Hearing aids	hearing	397,970*
Walker	mobility	294,410
Orthopaedic footwear	mobility	227,530
Braces or supportive devices	mobility	204,480
Volume control telephone	hearing	199,170
Respiratory aids (e.g. inhalers, puffers, oxygen)	other	183,100
Manual wheelchair	mobility	173,170
Magnifiers – seeing	seeing	167,920
Grasping tools or reach extenders	agility	135,200
Lifts or lift type devices	mobility	98,920
Scooter	mobility	90,560
Hand or arm brace	agility	85,440
Large print materials	seeing	69,190
Crutches	mobility	62,360
Closed caption T.V. or decoder	hearing	59,040
Pain management aids (e.g. TENS)	other	51,780
Home computer – learning disability	learning	49,660
Motorized wheelchair	mobility	47,080
Other phone related devices hearing	hearing	46,710
Computer to communicate - hearing	hearing	39,300
Amplifiers (e.g. FM, acoustic, infrared)	hearing	37,500
Spell/grammar checking software	learning	30,120
Talking books – seeing	seeing	26,460
Scanner or printer – learning disability	learning	25,960
Visual or vibrating alarms	hearing	24,340
White cane	seeing	22,640
TTY or TTD	hearing	19,120
Message relay service	hearing	18,380
Software organizational tools	learning	15,910
Pocket organizers	learning	14,790
Computer with braille, large print or speech access	seeing	13,650
Recording equipment	learning	13,590
Recording equipment or portable note takers	seeing	12,410
Talking books – learning	learning	12,010
Voice recognition software	learning	11,770
Computer or keyboard device to communicate	speech	11,740
Closed circuit devices (e.g. CCTV's)	seeing	11,210
Portable spell checker	learning	10,880
Voice amplifier	speech	3,700
Communications board (e.g. Bliss)	speech	3,070
Source: PALS, 2001.
* Caution: This estimate for the requirement for hearing aids is incomplete. This includes only the portion of individuals who actually have hearing aids. We are unable to determine the unmet requirement. See footnote 8.

While this list of specific devices and the number of persons requiring them is most useful, it is important to note that a substantial number of individuals reported a requirement for an aid or device not specified in the PALS questionnaire. For example, 378,220 adults with disabilities reported a requirement for "other aids or devices" related to unspecified disability types; while 145,630 reported a requirement for "other mobility-related" aids or devices (Table 1.2). Similarly, 152,570 fall into this "other" category in hearing-related aids and devices (see footnote 8 for more explanation). This suggests that there are aids and devices that were not included in the PALS questionnaire that are required by a considerable number of individuals. In other words, there are a lot of aids and devices missing from this analysis.

Table 1.2
Requirements for Specific Devices - Other Sub Categories
Other Category	Disability Type	Total requiring
Other aids/devices for other disability types	other	378,220
Other mobility related devices	mobility	145,630
Other Agility related devices	agility	91,310
Other learning related devices	learning	39,810
Other hearing related devices	hearing	152,570
Other sight related devices	seeing	22,980
Other speech related devices	speech	8,350
Source: PALS, 2001.

Multiple Aid/Device Requirements Most Likely Among Mobility-related Aids/Devices

While some individuals require aids/devices from more than one grouping (based on disability type), similarly some individuals require more than one aid/device within a grouping. Those with a requirement for some type of aid/device related to mobility disabilities are the most likely to report multiple aids/devices within that grouping; on average, these individuals require 2.9 aids/devices. The comparable figures for those requiring aids/devices related to other types of disabilities are: sight with an average of 2.2 aids/devices; learning with an average of 2.1 aids/devices; hearing with an average of 1.7; speech with an average of 1.3; agility with an average of 1.2; and "other" with an average of 1.1.

What is the Gap between Requirements and Reality—What is the Unmet Need for Aids and Devices?

One-Third of Those Requiring Some Type of Aid/Device Have Unmet Need

Of the 2,008,460 individuals who have some requirement for an aid or device, 1,351,450 or 67% report that their needs are fully met. This means that another 657,000 (or 33%) have some level of unmet need for an aid or device. Of these 657,000 people with an unmet need, nearly a quarter of them (160,370)¹³ have none of the aids/devices that they need at all and about three quarters of them (496,630)¹⁴ have some aids/devices, but still need more.

Mobility-related Aids/Devices, Then Hearing-related Aids/Devices Contribute Most to Overall Unmet Needs

Given the fact that mobility-related aids/devices are the most commonly required aids/devices, it is not surprising that mobility-related aids/devices are also the most likely to be connected with an unmet need. Of the 657,000 people with an unmet need, 297,400 (45%) have an unmet need for a mobility-related aid or device. Those with an unmet need for hearing rank next with 199,590 or 30% of the 657,000 with an unmet need. ¹⁵

Rate of Unmet Need Actually Greatest Among Those Requiring Learning-related Aids/Devices and Speech-related Aids/Devices

If we examine these data a bit differently, we get quite a different perspective on the nature of unmet needs for aids and devices related to specific disability types. If we look at requirements for aids and devices related to specific disabilities, we find that the rate of total unmet need (partially met/partially unmet + completely unmet) is actually greatest among those who require learning-related aids and devices (14% + 43% = 57%) and speech-related aids and devices (8% + 46% = 54%). The rate of unmet need is lowest among those requiring seeing-related aids and devices (13%).¹⁶

The rate of unmet need for the remaining categories hovers between 27% and 32%. Although the unmet need for mobility-related aids and devices contributes most to overall unmet need (due to the very high number of people who require mobility-related devices to begin with), the rate of unmet need among those requiring mobility-related aids and devices is actually somewhere in the middle (28%). In fact, a person who requires learning-related aids or devices is twice as likely as someone who requires mobility-related aids or devices to have an unmet need.

It is interesting to note that those requiring speech-related aids and devices and those requiring learning-related aids and devices are the most likely to have a completely unmet need (46% and 43% respectively of those requiring that type of aid or device)—meaning that they have none of the aids or devices that they require.

What About Unmet Needs for Specific Aids and Devices?

If we turn our attention to focus on specific aids and devices (Tables 1.3 and 1.4), we find that the greatest unmet needs in terms of sheer numbers are among those requiring 'other aids or devices' (Table 1.4). In particular, we find the greatest unmet need is among those requiring 'other hearing-related aids or devices' (144,720). As mentioned in previous sections (see also footnote 7), one reason that this number is so high might be that respondents to the PALS were not asked about unmet needs for hearing aids. It is reasonable to expect that many of the people in this 'other hearing-related aid or device' category are actually individuals who require hearing aids. We also find a very high number of individuals with unmet needs in the 'other aids' for 'other' disability types category (135,110 with an unmet need). (Table 1.4) This suggests again that many of the important types of aids and devices required by persons with disabilities were not included in the PALS questionnaire.

Other specific aids or devices that contribute a fair amount to the total number of people with an unmet need include: grab bars or bathroom aids (83,600); canes or walking sticks (43,710); scooters (47,630); eyeglasses or contact lenses (44,070); lifts or lift type device (36,380), and grasping tools and reach extenders (35,420). It is important to note that the aids/devices in Table 1.3 appear in order from highest to lowest in terms of overall requirements (i.e., the same order of appearance as in Table 1.1). In most cases, it is obvious that the number of people with an unmet need is largely a function of the number of people who require the aid/device. It is also useful to look at the rate of unmet need.

Those Requiring Scooters and Motorized Wheelchairs Have a High Rate of Unmet Need

Looking at the same data in a different way, we can look at the proportion of those requiring each aid or device who have an unmet need. These are the individuals who have a requirement for a specific aid or device that is among the least likely to be met. The gap between requirement and fully met needs is proportionately largest here. In this category are those requiring: scooters (52% requiring them have an unmet need), motorized wheelchairs (52%), communications board (e.g. Bliss)(60%), talking books — learning aid (47%), voice recognition software- learning (46%), voice amplifier-speech (48%); portable spell checkers (learning-related) (39%); home computers (learning-related) (38%); and lifts and lift-type devices (37%). (Table 1.3)

Table 1.3
Unmet Needs for Specific Aids and Devices
	Disability Type	Unmet need	% with unmet need
Cane or walking stick	mobility	43,710	6%
Glasses	seeing	44,070	8%
Grab bars or bathroom aids	mobility	83,600	17%
Hearing aids* cannot be estimated	hearing
Walker	mobility	29,520	10%
Orthopaedic footwear	mobility	30,020	13%
Braces or supportive devices	mobility	18,500	9%
Volume control telephone	hearing	35,160	18%
Respiratory aids (e.g. inhalers, puffers, oxygen)	other	6,360	3%
Manual wheelchair	mobility	14,590	9%
Magnifiers - seeing	seeing	11,280	7%
Grasping tools or reach extenders	agility	35,420	26%
Lifts or lift type devices	mobility	36,380	37%
Scooter	mobility	47,630	52%
Hand or arm brace	agility	12,830	15%
Large print materials	seeing	7,810	11%
Crutches	mobility	3,140	5%
Closed caption T.V. or decoder	hearing	13,580	23%
Pain management aids (e.g. TENS)	other	9,160	18%
Home computer - learning disability	learning	18,990	38%
Motorized wheelchair	mobility	24,100	52%
Other phone related devices hearing	hearing	8,990	19%
Computer to communicate - hearing	hearing	3,760	10%
Amplifiers (e.g. FM, acoustic, infrared)	hearing	8,320	22%
Spell/grammar checking software*	learning	5,370	18%
Talking books- seeing	seeing	2,240	8%
Scanner or printer - learning disability	learning	3,390	14%
Visual or vibrating alarms	hearing	8,070	33%
White cane (Cannot be released due to small sample size)	seeing
TTY or TTD	hearing	5,120	27%
Message relay service	hearing	2,900	16%
Software organizational tools**	learning	5,580	34%
Pocket organizers	learning	3,400	23%
Computer with braille, large print or speech access	seeing	2,870	21%
Recording equipment	learning	5,200	38%
Recording equipment or portable note takers	seeing	940	8%
Talking books - learning	learning	5,590	47%
Voice recognition software***	learning	5,440	46%
Computer or keyboard device to communicate	speech	4,140	35%
Closed circuit devices (e.g. CCTV's)	seeing	2,840	25%
Portable spell checker	learning	4,280	39%
Voice amplifier	speech	1,760	48%
Communications board (e.g. Bliss)	speech	1,840	60%
Source: PALS, 2001
Note: Unmet need for hearing aids cannot be estimated using PALS (see footnote 8) Note: Numbers for 'white cane' cannot be released due to low sample size
*** Spell/grammar checking software-learning: this number includes 4,750 people who would also need a computer to go with this (i.e., don't have the computer either) ** Scanner or printer - learning: this number includes 2,430 people who would also need a computer to go with this (i.e., don't have the computer either) *** Software organizational tools - learning: this number includes 4,000 people who would also need a computer to go with this (i.e., don't have the computer either) **** Voice recognition software - learning:** this number includes 3,010 people who would also need a computer to go with this (i.e., don't have the computer either)

Table 1.4
Unmet Needs for Specific Devices - Other Sub Categories
Other Category	Disability Type	Unmet need	% with Unmet Need
Other aids/devices for other disability types	other	135,110	36%
Other mobility related devices	mobility	56,540	39%
Other agility related devices	agility	33,990	37%
Other learning related devices	learning	23,720	60%
Other hearing related devices	hearing	144,720	95%
Other seeing relatted devices	seeing	14,600	52%
Other speech related devices	speech	5,950	71%
Source: PALS, 2001.

Reasons for Unmet Needs for Aids and Devices

Just as important as determining the size and nature of the unmet need, is knowing more about the reasons behind it. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of those with an unmet need for an aid/device reported that the aid/device was too expensive and half reported that the item was not covered by their insurance (some individuals reported more than one reason—in particular, people typically cited more than one 'economic' reason). Certainly, it appears that cost-related barriers are, by far, the most important reasons offered for not having the required item.

It is, however, useful to note that 82,650 individuals (17%) report that they didn't know where to obtain the aid/device. This suggests that a lack of appropriate information is also a barrier of note.

As well, the high proportion of persons in the 'other' categories suggests that PALS failed to capture the full range of reasons.¹⁷ For some individuals, the reasons for not having a required aid or device might be so complex that the individual has difficulty articulating a reason. As well, many individuals have difficulty accepting their need for an aid or device. They may be in the early stages of a condition and have been told by a health care professional that they need to begin using an aid or device, but may have some difficulty emotionally accepting this. This is particularly likely in the case of persons who are affected by a degenerative disorder or who are experiencing early hearing loss. None of the reasons offered in the PALS questionnaire accurately depicted these situations.

Basic Demographic Profile of Unmet Need for Aids and Devices

While we know that cost is an important factor in creating unmet need for aids/devices, it is also important to understand more about the individuals who are most likely to be affected.

Very Little Difference in Unmet Need between Men and Women

Overall, there is very little difference in unmet need between the sexes (32% for men vs 33% for women). There are 3 exceptions — aids or devices that are related to learning, seeing and speech disabilities. Women are more likely than men to have an unmet need for aids or devices related to learning disabilities (62% compared with 53%). Similarly, women are more likely than men to have an unmet need for aids or devices related to speech disabilities (58% compared with 52%). In both these cases, the rate of unmet need is also unusually high for both genders. Men were more likely than women to express an unmet need for aids and devices related to seeing disabilities (17% compared with 11%).

Working-age Adults with Disabilities More Likely than Seniors to Have Unmet Needs

Overall, 39% of working-age adults with disabilities had unmet needs compared to 26% of seniors with disabilities. Within each disability type, non-seniors had higher rates of unmet need than seniors

People with Severe Disabilities More Likely to Have Needs Go Unmet

Overall, the proportion of those with unmet needs clearly increases with the severity of the disability. This is evident as 18% of those with mild disabilities had unmet needs compared with 50% of those with very severe disabilities.

The same relationship holds true across all categories of disabilities. It appears that those who most need these devices are most likely to have their needs go unmet. This is most evident among person with mobility and agility limitations.

Notes

* Neither mild nor moderate estimates can be released for agility-related aids/devices due To small sample size. When merged, mild and moderate categories have a combined rate of 15 percent.

** Neither mild nor moderate estimates can be released for sight-related aids/devices due To small sample size. When merged, mild and moderate categories have a combined rate of 9 percent.

*** Mild, moderate and severe categories cannot be released for speech-related aids/devices due To small sample size. When merged, mild, moderate and severe categories have a combined rate of 50 percent.

A Final Note About Disability Type

The discussion thus far regarding disability type has revolved around those with a particular type of disability and their requirements (and unmet needs) for aids/devices related specifically to that type of disability. There are some disability types that have not been represented here since PALS did not pose any questions regarding aids/devices targeted to those particular types of disabilities. Most notably, there are no aids/devices specifically targeted toward those with developmental, memory-related, or psychological disabilities. As well, many individuals have multiple disability types and often face complications obtaining aids/devices because they have varied requirements. In this final sub-section, we examine requirements and unmet needs for 'any aid or device' by the person's disability type. Of course, these categories are not mutually exclusive since many individuals have more than one type of disability. Here we are examining the requirement for any type of aid or device (regardless of whether it is related to the disability type in question). In Table 1.5, we find the percentage and number of individuals with each type of disability who require some type of aid or device. Of course, the high percentage listed for those with sight-related disabilities is largely due to the inclusion of eyeglasses and contact lenses in this analysis. Despite no aid/device categories aimed at memory, developmental, or psychological disabilities, we find a surprising percentage of individuals with these types of disabilities who have some requirement for some of the aids/devices that were listed under other disability types (71%, 52%, and 63% respectively). This suggests that these types of disabilities often go along with another type of disability for which the individual might require an aid or device.

Table 1.5
Percentage and Number Requiring Some Type of Aid or Device by Person's Type of Disability
	Number	%
agility	1,529,480	67%
hearing	858,050	78%
learning	282,490	63%
mobility	1,614,000	66%
sight	568,020	96%
speech	250,360	69%
memory	297,270	71%
developmental	62,930	52%
pain	1,456,970	61%
psychological	331,990	63%
Source: PALS, 2001.

In Table 1.6, we examine unmet needs for any type of aid/device by the person's type of disability. Perhaps most noteworthy is the very high percentage of individuals with a developmental disability who have an unmet need for some type of aid or device (42% with a partially unmet need and 15% with a totally unmet need). In fact, the success rate for obtaining aids/devices is lowest among those with three types of non-physical disabilities: developmental, learning, and psychological.

Table 1.6
Percentage Unmet, Met Needs for Some Type of Aid or Device by Person's Disability Type
	Partially Met	Totally Unmet	Totally Met
agility	28%	7%	65%
hearing	29%	9%	63%
learning	38%	12%	50%
mobility	27%	7%	66%
sight	32%	2%	66%
speech	35%	9%	55%
memory	35%	7%	57%
developmental	42%	15%	43%
pain	28%	8%	64%
psychological	35%	10%	55%
Source: PALS, 2001.

⁷ In addition to the impact of the baby boom generation, evidence also suggests that increases in life expectancy for Canadians will likely exacerbate this situation.
⁸ Included in this count are some 67,590 individuals who use hearing aids (which is only one of the aids/devices related to hearing disabilities) that completely correct their hearing disability.
⁹ Unlike the categories of aids/devices based upon disability type, the "other" category was asked of all respondents in PALS (for the other six categories, the pertinent questions were only asked of those with that particular disability type). It was intended to pick up aids/devices not tied to a specific disability type. It might be thought of as a 'catch all' category.
¹⁰ Excluded from this count are those who use eyeglasses or contact lenses that completely correct their vision problem. However, those who use eyeglasses or contact lenses that do not completely correct their vision problem are included.
¹¹ This does not include those who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses that completely correct their vision.
¹² Unfortunately, respondents were asked which aids/devices they needed 'other than hearing aids'. It is likely that those requiring hearing aids who either didn't have them or didn't have the proper ones would have answered this question by listing "other hearing-related devices" or by not providing a valid answer (there was no doubt a certain level of respondent confusion for those who were waiting to be asked about unmet needs for hearing aids only to discover that there was no such category provided). The number of people who ultimately ended up in this 'other hearing-related devices' category is 152,570. There is no accurate method of determining, however, what proportion of the 'other' category is actually comprised of those needing hearing aids.
¹³ Put another way, this also represents 8% of the total number requiring an aid or device.
¹⁴ Put another way, this also represents 25% of the total number requiring an aid or device.
¹⁵ Note that some people will be counted under more than one category since some people have an unmet need from more than one category. Because these categories are not mutually exclusive, therefore, the percentages in Chart 10 exceed 100%.
¹⁶ This low percentage is largely due to the inclusion of those who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses (which do not completely correct their seeing disability) as aids/devices in this analysis.
¹⁷ There are two categories of "other". The category labelled here as simply "other" includes those who wrote in an answer on the questionnaire in an effort to specify a reason that was not listed. Unfortunately, we did not have access to these comments at the time of analysis and cannot, therefore, group them into additional categories. Some of these people may also have answered "yes" to some of the other reasons listed. The "other — unspecified" category includes those individuals who answered "no" to all of the reasons listed and did not "specify" what the reason was by writing in a comment on the questionnaire.