A proposal for a model to calculate hearing disability

The present paper presents an alternative method to calculate hearing disability. As opposed to existing models to calculate hearing disability, the present method is not just based on the pure-tone audiogram. Hearing activities playing an important role in daily listening are taken into account: detection of sounds, distinction of sounds, intelligibility in quiet and in noise, auditory localization. Psycho-acoustical tests to measure each of these activities are described. Test scores are used to calculate overall hearing disability. A comparison is made between the present model and the method of the American Medical Association (AMA). Calculations are based on theoretical cases only. Further study has to be undertaken to verify the calculations by examining the scores of real cases to improve the validity and internal consistency of the present model.