Legal Deafness

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C-NICE

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I know there is legal blindness but is there legal deafness?7
 
I don't know if there is as far as "Law" goes. There should be though. Most people can understand how someone can be "Legally blind" but still have some ability to see (Things close, far away, see shadows and light, etc...). But most people can't understand a deaf person who has some hearing ability left. When they think "deaf" they think "No sound at all" and that isn't accurate.

Personally I think a guideline to consider someone "Legally deaf" would be is their hearing loss prevents them from being able to hear spoken communication by sound alone. That's when I considered my own hearing no longer being "Hard of hearing" but deaf.

For a few years after my hearing dropped from profound hearing loss to deafness. I could still hear some phones ring but I could not hear anything on the phone (Could not hear anyone's voice over the phone). I could hear some peoples voices if it was loud and low pitched enough but I could not hear what the voices where saying. I could hear a dog bark and a car horn but they where faint sounds that I usually couldn't identify without seeing them.

This is when I considered myself "Legally deaf" and I feel that if there is a legal term for it then this is where that line would be drawn. There is a line between someone with "very bad eye site" and a person who is "legally blind". There are differences between them in both our legal system and in some cases other areas such as insurance. Deafness should have a similar distinction.

Ron Jaxon
 
My right ear is legally deaf which mean total deafness > zip. I do hear some environmental sounds in my left ear with the help of hearing aid which is not helping me that much. Hearing people expect me to hear what they say with my hearing aid. Of course, that is not true at all. Like some of the blind, they are legally blind meaning never see sight > zip.
 
Most people who are blind can't see period. A person who considers themselves deaf may still be able to hear with amplification. In the hearing world if you say a person is deaf it is assumed that that person cannot hear at all. If you wear glasses it is assumed you can see. If you wear aids it is assumed you can hear. Are there any benefits to being declared legally deaf?
Do I get a deaf person sign put up in my neighborhood? Does anyone pay attention to those signs?
 
Hask12 said:
Most people who are blind can't see period. A person who considers themselves deaf may still be able to hear with amplification. In the hearing world if you say a person is deaf it is assumed that that person cannot hear at all. If you wear glasses it is assumed you can see. If you wear aids it is assumed you can hear. Are there any benefits to being declared legally deaf?
Do I get a deaf person sign put up in my neighborhood? Does anyone pay attention to those signs?
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Most blind people, just like deaf people, can see a little. Only about 10% of blind people have no light perception. Legally blind means you can see 10% of what a sighted person can see. Most blind people fall somewhere between legally blind and totally blind.

Definition of legally blind
 
I was told once I hit the moderate to severe level of hearing loss that I was "legally deaf". Now that I am total deaf - I know I would be considered "legally deaf", but when do I need that label?
 
KristinaB said:
I was told once I hit the moderate to severe level of hearing loss that I was "legally deaf". Now that I am total deaf - I know I would be considered "legally deaf", but when do I need that label?
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When you are about to be arrested for practicing deafness illegally!! :P
 
Some counties in UK (not all of them) the council issues cards for people with disablities. I have deaf with speech on mine, this shows legaliblty of my deafness in case people don't believe that i am actually deaf because of my speech.
 
Bottesini said:
When you are about to be arrested for practicing deafness illegally!! :P
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I get the jokes but there is some seriousness there.

In some legal situations you do have to prove that you are deaf.

For example in my state at least once someone says they are deaf and request an interpreter. Nothing they say without an interpreter can be used in court. In some situation the deaf person might have to provide proof that they are deaf.

But how can they do that without any legal term or a guide line between hard of hearing and deaf?

So I think the question this thread is about is a pretty important one.

Ron Jaxon
 
RonJaxon said:
I get the jokes but there is some seriousness there.

In some legal situations you do have to prove that you are deaf.

For example in my state at least once someone says they are deaf and request an interpreter. Nothing they say without an interpreter can be used in court. In some situation the deaf person might have to provide proof that they are deaf.

But how can they do that without any legal term or a guide line between hard of hearing and deaf?

So I think the question this thread is about is a pretty important one.

Ron Jaxon
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If the main situation where deafness would have to be legally defined is the one you described, then speech comprehension should define it. When someone can no longer reliably understand speech, then they should be considered legally deaf.
 
CJB said:
If the main situation where deafness would have to be legally defined is the one you described, then speech comprehension should define it. When someone can no longer reliably understand speech, then they should be considered legally deaf.
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You got a point there. If I don't understand speech by lipreading and could not make out what the person is saying, then I am legally deaf. :hmm: That make sense. :cool2:
 
In a way there is legal deafness. There are certain types of programs funded by state or local governments (Tuition for Deaf Texans) that require a certain level of deahness in order to qualify.

If I remember correctly for tuition in Texas you had to have an 85 or greater loss in the 2000 freq. There was also a guideline for aided loss
 
overthepond said:
Some counties in UK (not all of them) the council issues cards for people with disablities. I have deaf with speech on mine, this shows legaliblty of my deafness in case people don't believe that i am actually deaf because of my speech.
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How come you have a card stating you're deaf?
 
Lissa said:
Yeah but I am just wondering why do you have it?
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:werd: If someone doesn't believe you're deaf, they're just being a jerk. And if you need to prove your deafness in a law of court, you can request medical records.
 
I have absolute no idea as had it since i was 19 when i requested for minicom they did assessment on me then gave it to me to carry around in my purse, and it automatically changed when I moved to different county.

It helps if I fall into difficulties such as if I don't understand someone and requested for some help or pen paper and they often to get anxious so when I show the card they relax and wrote things down for me. Problem solved.

Since then I have discovered that I can get 1/2 price cinema ticket but I never use it if it's subtitled.
 
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