Which word you prefer to use?

What label do you want to use to identify yourself?

  • Deaf

    Votes: 50 71.4%

  • Hearing Impaired

    Votes: 10 14.3%

  • HOH (Hard of Hearing)

    Votes: 10 14.3%
  • Total voters
    70
  • Poll closed .
Very interesting thread! I'm not really too picky--hearing impaired, deaf, hard of hearing--whatever. I can use the phone to talk with people I know well, and most people can figure out my speech. (if they can't too bad!) Some people I hang out with don't like it when I call myself hearing impaired, but I really don't have a problem with that term. Yes my hearing is impaired--so what? What I don't understand is the term hard of hearing. What does that mean anyway? Hard--what is hard???? Hard to hear. That I understand. But hard OF hearing?? To me that sounds dumb--like saying hard of seeing. Know what I mean?
 
I'm all for simplicity - deaf. That's the first word that comes to mind when addressing my lack of hearing. I have no problems with what others prefer to use on themselves, hearing imp, deaf, Deaf, etc etc. It is a matter of preference and feeling comforable with the terminology that makes it valid.

Oceanbreeze, no problem with your input- it has been very valuable to know what's on your mind on this topic. :)
 
i am hearing so i shoudl probably not be in here but i think deaf also. becuase Hearing Impaired make it sound like its a disability, it's not. HOH is ok..
 
nozobo said:
I dont mean to say this but similar concept, I know you're black and you dont care about skin but do you like to be called n-i-g-g-e-r? I don't think so. This is not offensive but just a concept that's' all
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See, I didn't even revenge or scold at nozobo for using the word n.
But people here attacked me for no reason.

N word is not the same thing with the word, "hearing impaired".

You should have say...

I don't mean to say this but similar concept, I know you're african american
and you don't care about skin but do you like to be called black american?
I don't think so. This is not offensive but just a concept that's' all.

N word is not just offensive word, it is a hurtful word.

So, I don't want to use the word deaf... because I can hear a little bit.
I need my hearing aid to hear.

Just like I need my glasses to see...
And nobody wouldn't want to be call 4 eyes or blind.
Because I ain't blind, I can see somewhat. So therefore I will call myself
Visibly impaired and Hearing impaired.

Hard of hearing is kind of stupid... nobody can say Hard of seeing.

The word Blind and the word Deaf, I don't use... cause
I am not totally deaf or blind....
And I don't call myself mute cause I can talk but not perfectly.
So I can call myself Speech Impaired too. :)
 
Miss*Pinocchio, I can see the point that what nozobo tried to make in his post. For example... For some African-Americans, 'N' is no big deal.. in fact, they wouldn't mind... I know one of my friends who is African-American, he told me that he don't mind if we use 'N' word because he said it is not even offensive word for him. BUT while other African-Americans, 'N' word will offend them greatly...

It can be same for deafies. For some deafies, 'hearing imparied' is like 'N' for certain African-Americans while it may not for other certain deafies. Before anyone jump the gun on me, I am not a deaf militant but I personally despise the word, 'hearing imparied'... but I never bother to try to make a point with any deafies who disagrees with me but I do bother to make a point with my ASL students or my hearing friends that it DOES offend me to no end. They showed the respect for me by not using it in front of my face as much as I do show my respect for my friends or ASL students. If they do use that word at somewhere else, it is not my problem and I don't care.

So in my world, everyone wins. Thus my problem is solved without any kind of efforts.
 
deafdyke said:
Yes, oceanbreeze! I do too! I have multiple disabilties (a couple besides being hoh) and it just irritates the heck out of me when I hear prissy wittle descriptive terms, like "mobilty impaired" or visually impaired or "wheelchair bound"......Most people with mobilty issues can get around...and are mostly part time wheelchair/crutch/ whatever users. It just irritates me that the language of disabilty is defined by nondisabled people's terms!
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:werd:

I do want to say I don't have a problem with the term "wheelchair bound" as it applies to me. But, that's my reality. I don't mean to impose my reality on someone else. Someone might feel differently and they need to be respected.

I think the solution to this is quite simple. Simply ask the person what terminology they are most comfortable with and don't assume anything! Quite the novel concept; asking somebody what they prefer, eh? ;)

Yes, I'm purposely being sarcastic. People can be and are so damn stupid when it comes to this. :ugh:
 
Ocreanbreeze, is that why you want me to stop calling you 'my heroine'? :P :scatter:
 
Magatsu said:
Miss*Pinocchio, I can see the point that what nozobo tried to make in his post. For example... For some African-Americans, 'N' is no big deal.. in fact, they wouldn't mind... I know one of my friends who is African-American, he told me that he don't mind if we use 'N' word because he said it is not even offensive word for him. BUT while other African-Americans, 'N' word will offend them greatly...

It can be same for deafies. For some deafies, 'hearing imparied' is like 'N' for certain African-Americans while it may not for other certain deafies. Before anyone jump the gun on me, I am not a deaf militant but I personally despise the word, 'hearing imparied'... but I never bother to try to make a point with any deafies who disagrees with me but I do bother to make a point with my ASL students or my hearing friends that it DOES offend me to no end. They showed the respect for me by not using it in front of my face as much as I do show my respect for my friends or ASL students. If they do use that word at somewhere else, it is not my problem and I don't care.

So in my world, everyone wins. Thus my problem is solved without any kind of efforts.
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You can say N***a or N*****, but don't say it in an evil way.
You don't go up to a stranger black person and say that...
or else you'll get a bad reputation.
 
Miss P, Yes, all of us need the common sense and etiquette anyway but even to close friends, they wouldn't like it if someone called them 'N' word.. even in nice way. It is very individual thingy for everyone.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
Oh, you're entitled to your opinion. I'm getting used to it. ;)

:lol:
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Aww. I was hoping that I will get the certain comment out of you by teasing you but I lost this 'battle' :D :lol:
 
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I think that it would be better off for us to say hearing impaired because some hearing people automatically think that we are deaf-mute.

But, it depends on some people that you meet like a dentist, lawyer, police, etc. A long time ago, my dentist wrote down deaf-mute on my record. I was so surprised, and told my mother about it because I couldn't talk my dentist clearly due my gum was numb. She phoned him about it and have him to change it properly. It was a good thing that I caught him writing it down.
 
I think that it would be better off for us to say hearing impaired because some hearing people automatically think that we are deaf-mute.
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Good point.....people think deaf, and they think ASL monolingals. I think that there should be new terms for dhh folks who are; ASL only monolingals, bilingal(speak and sign) and people who only speak. I don't like the term oral deaf b/c too many people think that if you have oral skills, that automaticly makes you oral deaf. No.....it's if you're presented with the choice of both ASL and speech, you ALWAYS use speech!
 
I don't like these words - oral deaf - because it makes me think that I am having an oral sex. You see what I mean. :roll:
 
Oh, and I don't mind someone saying that I have a hearing impairment. I just don't like being called hearing impaired. I dunno...I think that hearing impaired sounds wicked clinical. Sort of like the way when I once called my audi. Another person picked up and said that he couldn't come to the phone right now b/c he was seeing a patient. A PATIENT?!?!!? I'm not sick or unhealthy just b/c I am hoh! Make any sense?
 
Then, we could tell them that we cannot hear very well.

Most people don't know what hoh means (hard of hearing). It looks like you are saying homo - not quite exactly... :dunno:

i.e. "I cannot hear very well." :deaf: :cool:
 
Most people don't know what hoh means (hard of hearing). It looks like you are saying homo
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Not the abbreviation, but they know the term. Besdies how would you pronounce it as a word anyway?
 
I don't care which word people will label me as deaf or hearing impaired or whatever....
 
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