Sensory Disabilities

Abstract This chapter presents an overview of sensory disabilities, (with emphasis on blindness/vision impairment and hearing loss/deafness) including terminology/definitions, etiology, core challenges, models of conceptualization, and considerations for research, assessment, treatment, and training. Estimates of the prevalence of deafness worldwide are on the rise, with 2.5 billion people estimated to have some type of hearing loss worldwide by 2050. Furthermore, the public health significance of vision impairment and blindness is highlighted by the 2017 Global Burden of Disease, which ranked vision impairment and blindness as the third leading cause among all impairments for the number of years lived with a disability. Ethical practice and advocacy considerations to promote a more diverse and inclusive field that provides accessibility to individuals with sensory disabilities and access to training for future rehabilitation psychologists is also reviewed.