A Tap From A Dog Brings Peace Of Mind For Japan's Hearing Impaired

HIROSHIMA, May 5 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- For people with hearing impairments in Japan, help can come on four paws -- but awareness and access remain limited, Kyodo News reported. 

Assistance dogs support people with disabilities in living independently and participating in society across the country. While guide dogs are widely recognised, hearing dogs remain rare, with only about 50 in service nationwide.

Trained to distinguish essential sounds and alert users with a tap of their front paws, they are seen as meeting significant unmet demand. Yet some hesitate to use them, and cases of being refused entry to stores persist. Many hurdles remain before they are widely understood and accepted.

In late March, Mieko Tsurumura of Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, welcomed Grace, a 2-year-old female hearing dog. Grace is the first of her kind in the prefecture. "I want to cherish each day as we move forward together," said the 64-year-old.

Hearing dogs respond to everyday sounds such as phone calls and doorbells, guiding their users to the source by gently touching them.

For people with hearing impairments -- often described as an "invisible disability" because it is not immediately apparent -- the presence of such a dog can also signal their condition to others, making it easier for them to receive support in public.

Tsurumura, who developed sudden hearing loss in her 20s, is now completely deaf in her right ear and has limited hearing in her left, even with a hearing aid.

Before being paired with Grace, she said daily routines could be stressful, requiring constant visual checks and heightened awareness of her surroundings.

She recalls waiting for deliveries while constantly watching the door monitor and nearly colliding with a bicycle after failing to hear its bell. "Since Grace came, I can live with peace of mind," she said.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, there were 52 hearing dogs in operation as of October last year, compared with 768 guide dogs.

The gap highlights how limited their presence remains, despite a broader need among people with hearing impairments.

Tomoko Hashizume, executive director of the nonprofit Japan Service Dog Resource Centre in Yokohama, said the lack of financial support and limited access to information discourage adoption.

She added that the shorter history of hearing dogs compared with guide dogs, along with the smaller scale of training facilities, has slowed their spread.

Even after they are placed with users, challenges persist. Under a 2002 law, assistance dogs must be allowed in public facilities, transportation and shops. In practice, however, refusals still occur. Hearing dogs, often smaller in size, are sometimes mistaken for pets.

Tsurumura outfits Grace in a cape identifying her role, yet she has still been told by shop staff that "bringing pets in here will cause issues" when she enters stores.

Hashizume said greater awareness is needed to ensure that people with hearing impairments can fully benefit from assistance dogs.

"They are an important option for the social participation of people with hearing impairments," she said. "The lack of recognition is a barrier. I hope understanding will deepen so that hearing dogs and other assistance dogs become a commonplace presence."

-- BERNAMA-KYODO