People with hearing impairment in conversation at the start of the 2014 International Deaf Awareness Week march in Nakuru on September 22, 2014. They were participating in a campaign themed “Strengthening Human Diversity” that sought to recognise, accept and understand differences among people with various social, political and economic needs.
Kenyans who suffer from hearing impairment – about 640,000, according to the Ministry of Health – and need to get assistive devices such as hearing aids have to pay for them.
Most local health insurers, including the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), do not have a cover for hearing problems.