Deaf or deaf question
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guido
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Deaf refers to an individual who is into Deaf culture, while deaf is simply the medical term who one who cannot hear. Am I right, gnarlydorkette? 
I'm sure someone can elaborate better than me. Perhaps someone who actually is d/Deaf.
I'm sure someone can elaborate better than me. Perhaps someone who actually is d/Deaf.
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yeah Deaf is an Deaf person who are more involved in Deaf world, Deaf community, Deaf Culture and knowing Sign Language...
deaf is an deaf person who are in hearing world, not involved in Deaf community, dunno much about sign language, and some do know sign language etc...
maybe someone else will add in more...
deaf is an deaf person who are in hearing world, not involved in Deaf community, dunno much about sign language, and some do know sign language etc...
maybe someone else will add in more...
Ruliya
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Oh. I'm decidedly confused but I'd like to contemplate to see if I get it right. Or not. You were saying that a hearing impaired person is involved in Deaf culture, Deaf community, odds and ends would be considered as Deaf. Meanwhile, another hearing impaired person is not involved in any part of Deaf related wouldn't be considered as Deaf but only deaf?
Another question, is it politically incorrected for me to use the words, "hearing impaired" as to impudently characterized Deaf and deaf people? And would it be an insulting remark toward Deaf and deaf people?
Supposedly, to discuss about Deaf related we're exigently encouraged to use the word "Deaf" as a reference in general?
My apology for the many questions.
Another question, is it politically incorrected for me to use the words, "hearing impaired" as to impudently characterized Deaf and deaf people? And would it be an insulting remark toward Deaf and deaf people?
Supposedly, to discuss about Deaf related we're exigently encouraged to use the word "Deaf" as a reference in general?
My apology for the many questions.
M
Mookie
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Not quite right...
Any hearing-impaired individual is a part of deaf society. What is hearing-impaired? A person with minor hearing loss or CI (Borg), attends to oralism school, never socialize with deafies and/or never believe in ASL communication.
Any Deafie who strongly belives in ASL 100% is a part of Deaf society.
See two different the definations of Deaf/deaf....
Wheelin Rev
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Interesting. I was wondering about the same thing. So if you lose your hearing later in life like me and have not learned to sign; I am deaf. Sometime in the future, once I really feel like I "fit in" and know ASL fluently, I'm then Deaf?
I guess it does kind of make sense. Just sort of explains where you are in the culture? For us in the United States; the difference between having a "green card" and being a citizen, I guess?
Don't take this wrong, anyone. I am really trying to understand too.
Dave
P.S. I just learned that my chair suppliers are not really a DME. That seems to be an insult to them. They are "high-end rehab equipment suppliers" which apparently is not considered a DME. I'm gonna be confused for a while, I think. LOL
I guess it does kind of make sense. Just sort of explains where you are in the culture? For us in the United States; the difference between having a "green card" and being a citizen, I guess?
Don't take this wrong, anyone. I am really trying to understand too.
Dave
P.S. I just learned that my chair suppliers are not really a DME. That seems to be an insult to them. They are "high-end rehab equipment suppliers" which apparently is not considered a DME. I'm gonna be confused for a while, I think. LOL
Ruliya
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O.K., I think I got it. If I were to make a point or subject about a hearing impaired person who never had socialized with "deafies" or refuse to accept ASL as their fundamental language, I'm encouraged to characterize that person as a "deaf"? If another hearing impaired person who had socialized with "deafies" or accept ASL as their fundamental language, I'm to be characterize that person as a "Deaf"?
By the way, what is "deafie"? What about "hearie"? Those words were periodically referred in the posts.
Ruliya
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That's a good question! I'd like to know too.
gnarlydorkette
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Deafie and hearie are just our lingos because we don't want to bother to say "a D/deaf person" or "a hearing person" so we just shorthand it to a "D/deafie" or "hearie".
To be called "Deaf", the fluency of ASL is not mandatory-- as long you embrace and use it (the sign language) in your daily life. Guido just repeated what I have told him in private so he somehow understood (I hope??).
For most of Deaf people, "hearing-impaired" is sort of an insult. Do you call a blind person "sight-impaired"? We don't feel "Deaf" is a slur or a negativity.
To provide you an example that parallels to our sentiments for "Deaf"-- back in the fifties or sixties, the Hispanics wanted to embrace the word "Chicano" which used to be a negativity. Today you see at universities providing majors in Chicano Studies. Similar to their goal, we are taking power back by embracing "Deaf." We never feel it is bad so why should we proceed to make it politically-correct?
To be called "Deaf", the fluency of ASL is not mandatory-- as long you embrace and use it (the sign language) in your daily life. Guido just repeated what I have told him in private so he somehow understood (I hope??).
For most of Deaf people, "hearing-impaired" is sort of an insult. Do you call a blind person "sight-impaired"? We don't feel "Deaf" is a slur or a negativity.
To provide you an example that parallels to our sentiments for "Deaf"-- back in the fifties or sixties, the Hispanics wanted to embrace the word "Chicano" which used to be a negativity. Today you see at universities providing majors in Chicano Studies. Similar to their goal, we are taking power back by embracing "Deaf." We never feel it is bad so why should we proceed to make it politically-correct?
Ruliya
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Oh, I now got it.
Your elucidation aroused my never-ending curiosity. Not all Deaf people accept ASL as their fundamental language? Why not? Is it their only medium to communication, is it?
I'll keep that in mind about "impairment" subject.
Thanks for the explanation!
Your elucidation aroused my never-ending curiosity. Not all Deaf people accept ASL as their fundamental language? Why not? Is it their only medium to communication, is it?
I'll keep that in mind about "impairment" subject.
Thanks for the explanation!
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Gemtun
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Not true...I did not learn ASL until I was in late 20s. Hence I consider myelf as 'deaf'.....others would see me as 'deaf' too as I am not a full fledged member of Deaf Community.
Not every one of us view ASL as our mother tongue. I did not view ASl as my only medium. I was raised orally which means I was taught to rely solely on lipreading and speech. I took up ASL much later in my late 20's. Now these days, I consider total communication as my preferred mode.
Remember there are over 22 various communication modes within this community overall.
gnarlydorkette
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Not many hearie parents want their deaf children to sign.
Some parents wanted their deaf children to speak or be implanted.
By using sign language, it was believed to retard the Deaf children's langage development and nullify their will to "assimilate" into the hearing world.
I am not sure if many parents are STILL being told by their doctors to NOT allow their deaf children to sign.
It depends on the person.
I've never liked it.....it sounds like we're broken or can't function (ala driving while impaired) A better term would be dhh, deaf or hard of hearing.......person with a hearing loss etc..........
Actually Mookie, I'd say that the people who want to assimulate into the hearing world......like they look down on ASL and are very audist.....Oh and I don't think a minor hearing loss nessarily excludes a person from IDing as Deaf.....I know a little boy with unilateral loss who is attending a school for the Deaf!
On the other hand, some of us find the phrase "hearing impaired" very useful. When I'm talking to people who get it - people who are dhh themselves - I tend to call myself hard of hearing. But when I'm talking to someone who doesn't get it - to arrange CART or oral interpreting, to tell the impatient cashier why they need to look at me when they speak, and so on - then the phrase hard of hearing is not taken seriously, but calling myself deaf would just confuse people. Just like people don't understand what quadriplegia is, they don't understand that deafness doesn't always mean "completely unable to hear". Hearing impaired carries enough gravity that it tends to be better understood.
It does impair my ability to communicate easily, after all. (Hey, why isn't there a 'my two cents' gremlin?)
It does impair my ability to communicate easily, after all. (Hey, why isn't there a 'my two cents' gremlin?)
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Lower-case "deaf" can encompass the entire world of deafness: Deaf people, HOH, people who identify with both worlds or only the hearing world. It's a more general term. Like I will write that I work with deaf people, even though that group may include Deaf people.
BUT, when you are using both terms, say to compare and contrast, then yeah, "deaf" is often used as the opposite of "Deaf." That's when you see things like d/Deaf when you need to make a point about both groups.
However none of this is exactly standardized so what you read from one writer may not apply to another writer. Some people NEVER use "deaf" when discussing ASL users. If I'm writing something mainstream I often don't capitalize "Deaf" at all in order to avoid confusing people; however, in academic papers I'll generally use "deaf" and "Deaf" and include a footnote to explain the difference.
I hadn't read this thread before, but now that I have, this is exactly how I understand it.
Gemtun, I'd haveto disagree with that. That's like saying that you can only be a feminist if you're a radical lesbian seperatist type (the type who goes to Michigan Womyns Fest).....there are many different ways to be Deaf. You don't have to be a stereotypical nonoral, Sign only extremist to ID as Deaf!