HoH/deaf = Deaf ?

I'm confused as to what to call myself. I have APD and moderate hearing loss but my hearing aids make me able to hear. I still have a fair amount of difficulty with understanding people when they're looking away from me but I don't consciously lipread either.

I want to learn Auslan and when money and medical conditions permit I will take classes in it. I have a particular interest in learning to sign in a way that my blind best friend can read and communicate with me without speech.

I don't like the sound of "hard of hearing" for some inexplicable reason but I would be afraid to call myself "deaf" in case people with more severe hearing loss ridicule me for it.
 
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Silvara said:
I'm confused as to what to call myself. I have APD and moderate hearing loss but my hearing aids make me able to hear. I still have a fair amount of difficulty with understanding people when they're looking away from me but I don't consciously lipread either.

I want to learn Auslan and when money and medical conditions permit I will take classes in it. I have a particular interest in learning to sign in a way that my blind best friend can read and communicate with me without speech.

I don't like the sound of "hard of hearing" for some inexplicable reason but I would be afraid to call myself "deaf" in case people with more severe hearing loss ridicule me for it.
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I understand where you are coming from. The way I see that you still hang out with hearing people more. Maybe one day, you start to meet deaf people, then you will know what you can call for your identify when you are ready. It will help you to go through with hearing AND deaf people to shape up who you are, then you will know. Like you came here on AD already. :)
 
I'm really glad I came on here. I have very little "psychosocial support" irl. I have just one friend who I live with. I don't have any living family. My best friend who I live with has no other friends to regularly interact with but she does have family who she sees once a week. I never see them as they met me a couple of times and didn't like me or want to see me again.

So, the internet is my social life. Amongst many other things I am autistic, schizophrenic (well controlled with meds) and I have serious physical medical conditions which limit me from physical activity. My main contact with other people aside from my friend at home is the paid home care staff who come 3 times a week to help clean the house, get groceries and prepare food to freeze and eat during the week. and then there are the ladies who help me shower twice a week who don't talk much but even if they did it wouldn't do any good because I obviously don't shower with my hearing aids. I asked them if any of them sign and they said no. That surprised me.

So I am really interested in meeting deaf people or others with varying degrees of hearing loss and APD but I'm not sure how I could fit a social life into the already hectic schedule I have just to stay alive in terms of medical stuff. There is a huge difference (especially with how autism affects me) between hanging out online and hanging out in a rl community. Add in pills to be taken 6 times a day and respiratory treatments 4-6 times a day and physio twice a day and injections and doctors appointments that my friend and I have to get taxis to... it's insane.
 
Silvara said:
I'm confused as to what to call myself. I have APD and moderate hearing loss but my hearing aids make me able to hear. I still have a fair amount of difficulty with understanding people when they're looking away from me but I don't consciously lipread either.

I want to learn Auslan and when money and medical conditions permit I will take classes in it. I have a particular interest in learning to sign in a way that my blind best friend can read and communicate with me without speech.

I don't like the sound of "hard of hearing" for some inexplicable reason but I would be afraid to call myself "deaf" in case people with more severe hearing loss ridicule me for it.
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I feel the same way as you! I learned in class today (Deaf Culture class) that 'Deaf' encompasses all the variations of deafness. In other words:

  • Deaf
  • Hard of Hearing
  • deafened
  • oral deaf

Basically means: :deaf:

There aren't really categories, but it all depends on the person's preference. It's the Deaf person's decision to choose identity, and not others to make for them (ex. identity policing). I found comfort in that.

But I can still understand your point about the 'sound of HoH' and being afraid of calling yourself Deaf because there is so much weighed on ability or lack thereof
(Perspective of others, usually audists) so it can be hard to try and assume whichever role is comfortable because you feel like you're being judged or watched, and that's no fun! :P I'm still in the same boat as you, especially with the aspect of APD. I hope you, as well as many others, find whatever fits you best.

P.s. It's good you're learning sign language and it's lots of fun to learn :)
 
If you're not comfortable with deaf or hard of hearing or hearing impaired, you can tell people that you have hearing loss. Would that work? "Hi, can you repeat that, I have hearing loss" or "Yo, I have lost some hearing, can you write that down on this nifty pad of paper I carry around with me for this purpose?"

Where in Aus are you? There are a bunch of free resources for learning Auslan in person (and not online, which you don't want to do).
 
I think we're people, not packages, we don't need labels.

You don't need lots friends, just good ones. If hearing people are going to be put off by your signing, they might now be good friends. If Deaf don't accept you because you're not deaf enough, they can piss off they're wankers.

Buuuut you might not want to listen to me :) I'm one of those people that don't really care whether or not someone likes me.
 
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ambrosia said:
I think we're people, not packages, we don't need labels.

You don't need lots friends, just good ones. If hearing people are going to be put off by your signing, they might now be good friends. If Deaf don't accept you because you're not deaf enough, they can piss off they're wankers.

Buuuut you might not want to listen to me :) I'm one of those people that don't really care whether or not someone likes me.
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Lol thanks Amb, I wish I had the same attitude toward this like you :) haha!
 
Totally..

...just wanted to say that I totally get this and can relate completely. On many days I want to scream at hearing people for several reasons, not the least of which has to do with audism. And that they couldn't relate.

On the other hand I loved being able to hear well when my HA was working for me. And most Deaf people could not relate to that. If I heard the way I am now, I certainly wouldn't be able to either.

_____________________________________
Audiogram, right ear only:

250hz---105db
500hz---100db
1000hz--95db
2000hz--85db
4000hz-75db
6000hz--110 or 115db (audiogram goes up to 100db so this was off its chart)
8000hz-100db
SDT: 90db
SD: 40% 100db/20% 95db; avg. 30%
 
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