Is anyone with a hearing impairment considered "deaf"?

L

Loghead

New Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2009
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
0
I've noticed a lot throughout this forum that a lot of people consider themselves deaf, even though I have noticed that many of them just have hearing impairments and are not fully deaf. I am a hearing impaired person with a moderate-severe hearing loss... so does that label me as "deaf"? Does it just depend on how the person prefers to announce it? I'm sorry, I was just curious. :Oops:
 
Me, severe loss LE, profound loss, RE. Dr says hoh, audio says deaf, I feel Deaf is right for me. I can't understand what hearing there is remaining w/out special equipment. I prefer the company of those who sign or at least understand deaf/hoh.

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence" (Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, 1952).

When I enter the door at night I yank away all of the technology and just be me. Holly (my dog) and I do very well. I order pizza by vco relay or online, send all my friends text messages, etc. So - my audio and I agree on one thing, at least. (ha)
 
I think it is entirely a personal preference. Most who are deaf hate being labeled as "hearing impaired" as it makes us sound like we are disabled. Some also call themselves hard-of-hearing. Call yourself whatever you are most comfortable with. There was a thread about this before, so perhaps you could find that and see what the feedback is from others.
 
I have profound loss in my left ear, and just on the edge of profound in my right.

I used to say I was HOH since I am more orally oriented.

But then I was made to realize that when you are profoundly deaf, you might as well quit saying you are HOH. :lol:
 
Bottesini said:
I have profound loss in my left ear, and just on the edge of profound in my right.

I used to say I was HOH since I am more orally oriented.

But then I was made to realize that when you are profoundly deaf, you might as well quit saying you are HOH. :lol:
Click to expand...

:giggle:

Same here. I didn't start to call myself deaf (actually deafblind) until my hearing loss reached the severe-profound range.
 
If you can understand what the person saying on the phone and not use TDD/TTY. Then you are HOH. But you mention that you have moderate severe hearing loss, so that mean you are really deaf. It depended on the audiogram how much you have hearing loss in the range. Okay? :hmm:
 
AlleyCat said:
Most who are deaf hate being labeled as "hearing impaired" as it makes us sound like we are disabled.
Click to expand...

I sincerely apologize if when using this term I have offended anyone. :Oops: I have always been so used to referring to myself as hearing impaired... I never really thought of it that way. Can you tell I have not been exposed to too many other people with hearing problems? :lol: There 2 people I actually know who have hearing problems (1 with CI, another with bilateral hearing aids like myself).
 
Loghead said:
I sincerely apologize if when using this term I have offended anyone. :Oops: I have always been so used to referring to myself as hearing impaired... I never really thought of it that way. Can you tell I have not been exposed to too many other people with hearing problems? :lol: There 2 people I actually know who have hearing problems (1 with CI, another with bilateral hearing aids like myself).
Click to expand...

No worries - I was not offended. And as I said in my post, feel free to call yourself whatever you feel most comfortable with. That is what is most important.
 
Yes....isnt deafness a hearing impairment itself anyway?
 
Loghead said:
I've noticed a lot throughout this forum that a lot of people consider themselves deaf, even though I have noticed that many of them just have hearing impairments and are not fully deaf. I am a hearing impaired person with a moderate-severe hearing loss... so does that label me as "deaf"? Does it just depend on how the person prefers to announce it? I'm sorry, I was just curious. :Oops:
Click to expand...

It is pretty much a personal expression of your journey so let me say, at the extreme, for example.....if you are "of the culture", then you'd say your'e deaf. And there's everything else in between.....not much of an answer, huh? Lol...
 
Hearing impairment just sounds so clinical, like there's something wrong with you. It would be like identifying as hetrosexually impaired if you were gay. I much prefer hoh.
I'm hoh, but ID as both deaf and hoh. I can hear but not at all the way a hearie can.
 
deafdyke said:
Hearing impairment just sounds so clinical, like there's something wrong with you. It would be like identifying as hetrosexually impaired if you were gay. I much prefer hoh.
I'm hoh, but ID as both deaf and hoh. I can hear but not at all the way a hearie can.
Click to expand...

I think PC is nothing but cr*p and an effort to avoid calling a spade a spade.

I'm deaf and blind -- not hearing impaired, hard of hearing (although I don't mind if someone uses this term), visually handicapped, sightless, visually challenged, legally blind or anything else you can think of in which to call me.
 
Bebonang said:
But you mention that you have moderate severe hearing loss, so that mean you are really deaf.
Click to expand...

When I had moderately-severe hearing loss, I didn't consider myself as being deaf.

However, each of us is different and we all have the right to call ourselves whatever we wish.
 
no because i consider my self hard of hearing not deaf because i am not full deaf,i just miss some words and sound,spelling.
 
I am deaf LE and HoH RE, I call myself deaf. Its something I'm comfortable with although I am more orally oriented much like Botts as I grew up entirely oral and completely mainstreamed.
 
Partially Deaf

I consider myself partially deaf. Meaning I am in some instances hearing & in others deaf ( but my ent tells me from my test results that I will be deaf, deaf in due time).
 
Bebonang said:
If you can understand what the person saying on the phone and not use TDD/TTY. Then you are HOH. But you mention that you have moderate severe hearing loss, so that mean you are really deaf. It depended on the audiogram how much you have hearing loss in the range. Okay? :hmm:
Click to expand...

Um, I have moderate-severe hearing loss in my right ear I can easily understand what the person (male or female, even with an accent) is saying on the phone. Even without my heairng aid by using the speaker phone on my cell phone which amplifies the sound even more. :cool2:
 
I am HOH and would not call myself deaf. I was told by a doctor being deaf mean you can not hear any thing. I once went a doctor and he said "you're not deaf !" the doctor piss off for me calling myself deaf! I told that doctor ,"I never call myself deaf , someone else told you that!" Mass Rehab.
told the doctor I was deaf ,this was about 35 years ago. Mass Rehab. called everyone deaf that wore a HA!
 
While I was growing up all my family, audis and doctors have said I was deaf even though growing up I'v always had a severe-profound hearing loss. Now it is profound I consider myself deaf and I'v always considered myself as deaf from the age of 7 when i was really old enough to start using words to describe my hearing impairment
 
Back
Top