I am a Hard of Hearing person with Moderate-Severe Hearing Loss. I am Majoring in Psychology with a minor in ASL/Deaf Culture. For the most part in being in ASL minor I've learned a lot about myself as a Hard of Hearing person in relation to Deaf Culture. For example, I just stopped calling myself Hearing Impaired, I understood that because so many Hard of Hearing people associate themselves with the Hearing World and Hearing people give us that label, its just what we went with. Another interesting aspect, you have your two polar opposites Hearing people and Deaf people and the Hard of Hearing are in the gray area between the two. The hearing world views hard of hearing people as though they can hear enough that with speech therapy and and a hearing aid all will be well, and they wont need to "bother" with ASL. And you have some members of the Deaf World who view HOH people as people more closely related to Hearing Culture. It depends on the level of hearing loss. Others think that HoH people can benefit from using ASL too. HoH people don't catch everything even with Hearing Aids, we don't follow everything, but why do we have to be in this invisible grey area, HoH share similiar experiences with Deaf people and we don't fit in neatly with Hearing World. My question is this why not make it just as important for HoH people to learn/know sign language so they don't have to miss-out either. They can have the best of being in both worlds using speech if preferred and ASL? Instead of being seen by Deaf world as "Your not Deaf enough" and being seen by Hearing world as "Oh we can make you hear enough" and force you to fit in....
Where do the Hard of Hearing fall on the Hearing -Deaf Spectrum
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dereksbicycles
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Sorry, but I see a lot of people concerning themselves with labels. Why not just do things you enjoy doing and you won't have to worry about labels.
VacationGuy234
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It's not a bad thing to learn ASL or anything that helps improve communication. Everyone should constantly be learning.
However, learning ASL does not solve the, "miss-out" problem. The hearing world doesn't use ASL so we would still be missing out. It's not a solution.
The reason Deaf people don't like hard of hearing people isn't because of language, it's because we choose to hear(we don't have the same beliefs). Just because you learn ASL does not make you accepted, it just makes it easier to communicate.
You, and every other deaf person, have to make your own individual choice. Most of us don't see a need to choose one group over another. We are just fine with being friends of both groups. We know we don't fit into either, but that is something we grow to accept over time.
We are not helpless, we can adapt to anything either group throws at us. Perhaps some day we will be more organized, but as of today we don't see the need. And, in the future, there may not even be a need.
Is the sociological "straight jacket" eg. "hearing vs deaf" real? Having some "difficulty" hearing normally doesn't "trigger" an existential search for "where I belong"? Just consider do the hearing persons you know actually consider they belong to the "hearing world"?
Aside: the author is bilateral DEAF with a Cochlear Implant since August/07 and doesn't use ASL. Whether the "local voice off deaf Militants" concur-not exactly- a pressing concern.
More discussion in Sociology
Aside: the author is bilateral DEAF with a Cochlear Implant since August/07 and doesn't use ASL. Whether the "local voice off deaf Militants" concur-not exactly- a pressing concern.
More discussion in Sociology
Frisky Feline
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Who told you that Deaf don't like Hard of Hearing people? Please be careful for what you think of some of us as Deaf people.
The problem is with labels. Many people would rather see labels pinned to everyone and everything. It makes the world more comfortable for them. They refuse to see people (including themselves) on multidimensional continua. Instead of D/h, I can describe myself as having a 55db loss averaged across frequencies and ears, and knowing a very little bit of sign, having taken one course. I also have many other attributes....[on and on for another ten pages]
I cannot conform totally to the hearing world, nor can I conform totally to the Deaf world, because I am a unique individual. And that brings my mind around to another axe...
I cannot conform totally to the hearing world, nor can I conform totally to the Deaf world, because I am a unique individual. And that brings my mind around to another axe...
VacationGuy234
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I've experienced it. Perhaps hate is too strong a word, but I definitely wouldn't use the word like either.
I don't know whether this is coming up more from people actually meeting Deaf people or that students are learning it in class and bringing it here for discussion. Regardless, there is obviously a friction issue because we get posts like this a few times a month easily.
It is what it is..
Your right thats absolutely true, its not necessarily that I'm focused on finding an exact place to fit in, it is more for a learning benefit. I am only just learning alot about Deaf/HoH culture and as a Hard of Hearing person, I have questions, and I seek information and perspectives on how various people approach these issues.
Thank You for your input
The problem is with labels. Many people would rather see labels pinned to everyone and everything. It makes the world more comfortable for them. They refuse to see people (including themselves) on multidimensional continua. Instead of D/h, I can describe myself as having a 55db loss averaged across frequencies and ears, and knowing a very little bit of sign, having taken one course. I also have many other attributes....[on and on for another ten pages]
I cannot conform totally to the hearing world, nor can I conform totally to the Deaf world, because I am a unique individual. And that brings my mind around to another axe...
I see thank you for your feedback, I am all too familiar with labels, however As I am learning about myself from Deaf/HoH cultural perspective, I want to ask these questions for a learning experience and to see what other peoples perspectives are on these topics
Frisky Feline
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I see, that it's your expereince. Ok. but let you know that i do socialize with HOH people who does not know ASL and still chat with them. it's up to them if they want to learn ASL or not. BUT from my own experience, and own witness, they are learning ASL at a much later that I ve already socialized with.
I have run across these type of comments as well, SOME Deaf people may view HoH people in this light, but to bring up another way to look at this. I was Born Hard of Hearing, once my mom found out, she immediately started to prepare herself to learn, and learn to teach me sign language, but my Doctor "hearing professional" told my mom not to teach me ASL and that it would make my speech lazy, also that I can hear enough, that all I need is speech therapy, in a lot of ways it is not that HoH people choose to hear, it is inflicted on them as well. Thank you for your feedback, i thought it would be interesting to see what are other peoples perspectives were on this issue.
Answering the ? which titles this thread,I decided to see How Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines "deaf" and "hard-of-hearing".
Deaf: "lacking or deficient in the sense of hearing"
Hard-of-hearing: "relating to or having a defective but functional sense of hearing"
These 2 dictionary definitions leave me a little confused as to where hard-of-hearing leaves off and deaf begins.:roll: I don't know.
What I do know is that I:
1) Wear 2 hearing aids which have 3 channels: general use,telephone,and tv.
Feel very sharp loss of volume when not wearing them.
2) Use a CapTel phone.
3) Attend monthly meetings of my local hearing loss association. Our members have varying levels of hearing difficulty.
What I hate are hearing people who assume that I'm going to hear exactly what they hear. Many have been the times when people get in my face and say, "I'm only going to say this once;turn up your hearing aids." and other
similar patronizing remarks. Hearing aids help,but damn!
Also,some people hate calling the router # for incoming calls to my CapTel.
That's their problem.
In conclusion,I'm not going to obsess on labels. I'm just going to live my life.
Deaf: "lacking or deficient in the sense of hearing"
Hard-of-hearing: "relating to or having a defective but functional sense of hearing"
These 2 dictionary definitions leave me a little confused as to where hard-of-hearing leaves off and deaf begins.:roll: I don't know.
What I do know is that I:
1) Wear 2 hearing aids which have 3 channels: general use,telephone,and tv.
Feel very sharp loss of volume when not wearing them.
2) Use a CapTel phone.
3) Attend monthly meetings of my local hearing loss association. Our members have varying levels of hearing difficulty.
What I hate are hearing people who assume that I'm going to hear exactly what they hear. Many have been the times when people get in my face and say, "I'm only going to say this once;turn up your hearing aids." and other
similar patronizing remarks. Hearing aids help,but damn!
Also,some people hate calling the router # for incoming calls to my CapTel.
That's their problem.
In conclusion,I'm not going to obsess on labels. I'm just going to live my life.
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A hoh person who decides to try to be deaf at their first time away from home usually has some emotional problems that prevented them from getting along previously.
Trying to be deaf isn't going to make it all better. They need to work on the underlying problem.
What Frisky said is right . Plenty of people are happy to socialize with hoh people and they don't need to feel rejected.
But the idea of trying to take on a new culture as a solution to your problems isn't going to work.
Trying to be deaf isn't going to make it all better. They need to work on the underlying problem.
What Frisky said is right . Plenty of people are happy to socialize with hoh people and they don't need to feel rejected.
But the idea of trying to take on a new culture as a solution to your problems isn't going to work.
I don't follow you... I made this post and I am a Hard of Hearing person, you mentioned there is a friction issue...explain this please. The goal of my post was to gain other peoples different perspective on this issue for the benefit of learning information.
Love this feedback, thank you. I was not necessarily focused on labels but was more focused on asking this question for learning purposes and gain different perspectives on this topic
Your absolutely right in that aspect. However I realize that I am in a between grey area of Deaf World and Hearing World, and I am just beginning to learn about myself in relation to the experiences. My question to you is why not be part of both worlds, I want this not as a solution, there will always be challenges, that is simply a fact of life but in learning about myself from a cultural perspective, for an example, learning not to refer to myself as "hearing impaired" I see this as another aspect of my life that I am being enlightened about. Thank you for your input
VacationGuy234
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I see, that it's your expereince. Ok. but let you know that i do socialize with HOH people who does not know ASL and still chat with them. it's up to them if they want to learn ASL or not. BUT from my own experience, and own witness, they are learning ASL at a much later that I ve already socialized with.
I understand. And, as I said, the difference isn't language it is belief. I have Deaf friends and they know I'm not part of the Deaf Community. There are philosophical differences and some people get militant about it, not all, but some.
The fact that you know ASL doesn't make you part of the Deaf Community. It is a belief that you do not need or want hearing, that is the difference.
The OP's post is about how to bridge that gap. And, my opinion is you can't because you can't have both beliefs.
I'm not saying you can't be friends with Deaf. Deaf people are good people. I'm saying you can't be part of a Community of which you disagree.
It's kind of an all or nothing thing right?
VacationGuy234
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I think every hard of hearing person, at some point in life, realizes he doesn't fit it with the hearing world. To remedy that, he/she looks to the Deaf world, but doesn't know much about it.
The HoH people have this idea that, "surely" the Deaf would be better accepting of them than the hearing. After all, just like them, Deaf people can't hear so it's only natural they understand, right. However, this is where there is a culture clash, because the Deaf have never heard or choose not to hear they don't understand the HoH culture and because of that there is friction. This group that HoH people thought would be more accepting is not.
So, I think the best that you can do is not worry about fitting into groups. Just remember that your part of a much bigger group called the Human Race and not worry whether people accept you or not.
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Your absolutely right in that aspect. However I realize that I am in a between grey area of Deaf World and Hearing World, and I am just beginning to learn about myself in relation to the experiences. My question to you is why not be part of both worlds, I want this not as a solution, there will always be challenges, that is simply a fact of life but in learning about myself from a cultural perspective, for an example, learning not to refer to myself as "hearing impaired" I see this as another aspect of my life that I am being enlightened about. Thank you for your input
okay, but is this really something you feel, or are you adopting and regurgitating other people's thoughts and feelings? Because that isn't really self discovery that's more like conforming for acceptance.
Answer honestly, do you feel you have a hearing impaiment? Notice I asked if you felt you have one, not that you are hearing impaired. I know it's subtle, but there is a difference. If you really feel you do not, good on you.
I can understand the Deaf Community distate for that word, and others like it. Childhood is hard enough without having difficulties such of deafness on top of it, so I can understand someone's feeling that were deaf from birth and their dislike of any words and the connotations they feel associated with them such as hearing impaired, hearing disability.
Me? I'm late deafened, I don't have a problem with any of those words. I generally refer to myself as HOH or deaf, but anyone can use whichever it doesn't bother me, they can make a new word and use that I don't care. A rose by any other name is still a rose. But if you're really on some self discovery learning mission, examine how you truly feel about things.That's just my 2 cents.