Requirements and Available Support

Since driving a car relies primarily on the sense of sight, deaf and hard-of-hearing people are also allowed to drive—at least under certain conditions. A hearing impairment is not necessarily a disability.

Before people with hearing impairments are allowed to obtain a driver’s license, they must see a doctor. The doctor must rule out other impairments—such as balance problems caused by hearing loss—before certifying that the person is fit to drive.

Afterward, people who are deaf face the challenge of finding a suitable driving school. However, at least in larger cities, there are always driving schools that specialize in teaching people with hearing impairments. There, the driving instructors are trained in sign language; they use additional materials for the theoretical lessons and alternative means of communication for the practical driving lessons. The latter is absolutely essential, as a deaf beginner driver cannot, for safety reasons, pay attention to the road and the driving instructor’s sign language instructions at the same time.

Vehicle Modifications to Support Deaf Drivers

For everyday driving, hearing loss is usually no longer a problem, as the majority of the processes involved in driving are visual in nature. Since deaf people react much more sensitively to visual cues than people without hearing loss, this condition can even become an advantage in this context. For example, they notice the flashing lights of police and fire trucks much earlier—long before the sirens sound and warn other road users.

Nevertheless, vehicle modifications can be helpful in making certain processes easier for the deaf while driving. Among other things, the ADAC offers an emergency call system via text message for the deaf and hard-of-hearing as an alternative to the usual call through the hands-free system. If support via hearing aids is possible, these can also be connected directly to the hands-free system, for example. Deaf individuals can always discuss additional custom modification requests and options with their respective repair shops. Those who also hold a severe disability ID card due to significant hearing loss generally benefit from financial assistance, discounts, or tax breaks for these modifications.

For more information on driving with a hearing impairment—including the stricter regulations for driving trucks and buses—visit www.bussgeld-info.de