More than one Deaf Community?

[CJB]

Please don't stereotype us late-deafened folks! I hate to be called "hearing impaired." I know that mid 40's may seen ancient to you, but when you get there you'll feel differently. Respect your elders, punk!

Amen. I hate being called hearing impaired as much as I hate being called vision impaired. I hate the word "impaired." Don't define my vision/hearing in terms of what I don't have, define it in terms of what it is.

In fact, come to think of it, reading this thread makes me realize how many people are constantly emphasizing everyone's differences and complaining how others just "don't get it." First example that comes to mind is pre-lingual Deaf people going on about how late-deafened people will never be truly Deaf or how it's not as hard for late-deafened people cause they have speech, blah blah. What about the things we share, like deafness (in the case of born Deaf and late-deafened or signing Deaf and oral Deaf) or ASL (in the case of Deaf people, CODA's, and interpreters)?

Seems like we're always putting up walls instead of breaking them down and to be honest, I'm tired of it.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

CJB,

There's a reason why certain people said the only time people united was over the closed captioning issue in the 80s, even though the immigrant population demanding it was the reason why it saw widespread usage (at least in Canada.)

 

[Juli-terp-to-be]

Amen. I hate being called hearing impaired as much as I hate being called vision impaired. I hate the word "impaired." Don't define my vision/hearing in terms of what I don't have, define it in terms of what it is.

In fact, come to think of it, reading this thread makes me realize how many people are constantly emphasizing everyone's differences and complaining how others just "don't get it." First example that comes to mind is pre-lingual Deaf people going on about how late-deafened people will never be truly Deaf or how it's not as hard for late-deafened people cause they have speech, blah blah. What about the things we share, like deafness (in the case of born Deaf and late-deafened or signing Deaf and oral Deaf) or ASL (in the case of Deaf people, CODA's, and interpreters)?

Seems like we're always putting up walls instead of breaking them down and to be honest, I'm tired of it.

 

[Lighthouse77]

there's a big difference between late-deafened and people who have been deaf all their life.

Number one thing I noticed is that most of them have great jobs. some of them got to keep their job because they were hearing when they had the job or were hearing when they went to college. These jobs are usually hard for people like me to get. My communication and writing skills are usually why I can't pass the test for these careers.
Look at the military, if you enter the military hearing, but lost your hearing, you still get can be in the military (but of course in a different dept.) . Or look at that at the profoundly deaf jazz singer. She is still singing, even though she lost her hearing. Because she was hearing all her life.

Don't get me wrong, I know late-deafened are struggling as we are. And that we both are having the same issues as far as hearing. But as far as education, especially education growing up, we are different. Now if they try to get education now, they would struggle as we do as far as missing out but their writing won't struggle as much.

Not that I care about our differences, but if we are going to understand each other, we do need to acknowledge our differences. I think you would want me to know what it is like to be DB . Actually, I can't comprehend what it is like until I walk in your shoe.

 

[Lighthouse77]

Where the H*ll do you get off that only the late deafened who were unhappy being oral are the one learning ASL. I am late-deafened and was happy being oral growing up. I wished I had been able to learn ASL, but I NEVER regret being oral.

I think she was referring people who were deaf all their life and was unhappy with verbal communication.

 

[KristinaB]

I think she was referring people who were deaf all their life and was unhappy with verbal communication.

I realized that after it was too late to remove it. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[CJB]

there's a big difference between late-deafened and people who have been deaf all their life.

Of course there are differences, and I'm not trying to deny that. I fully acknowledge the range of experiences within the Deaf community and within the signing community. But what I don't understand is why are we always capitalizing on the differences and never the similarities?

Not that I care about our differences, but if we are going to understand each other, we do need to acknowledge our differences. I think you would want me to know what it is like to be DB . Actually, I can't comprehend what it is like until I walk in your shoe.

That's actually a matter of debate for me. I wouldn't want someone to throw on a blindfold and put on a noise cancellation device, totally freak out, and then think that's what it's like for me all the time. People who are deaf or DB or whatever else have a chance to adapt, people who try on deafness or DBness for a day or a week don't.

 

[KristinaB]

That's actually a matter of debate for me. I wouldn't want someone to throw on a blindfold and put on a noise cancellation device, totally freak out, and then think that's what it's like for me all the time. People who are deaf or DB or whatever else have a chance to adapt, people who try on deafness or DBness for a day or a week don't.

The ear plugs I had my mother use to realize what hearing loss was like were a noise "reducer" as opposed to a noise cancellation. I was lucky to find them. She tried it out for a couple of days and has a better understanding of what I went through.

The opthalomogist (sp?) that I saw in Missouri when I last saw him, had some covers for my glasses that showed me what to expect with my gradual vision loss. There were about 15 different ones and it was really eye opening. It at least prepares me for what I can expect. I know when and if I get there, I will still have the adjustment to go through.

 

[CJB]

The ear plugs I had my mother use to realize what hearing loss was like were a noise "reducer" as opposed to a noise cancellation. I was lucky to find them. She tried it out for a couple of days and has a better understanding of what I went through.

The opthalomogist (sp?) that I saw in Missouri when I last saw him, had some covers for my glasses that showed me what to expect with my gradual vision loss. There were about 15 different ones and it was really eye opening. It at least prepares me for what I can expect. I know when and if I get there, I will still have the adjustment to go through.

Seems like this forum is just chock full of people with both hearing and vision loss.

On a more serious note, I'm glad that worked out with your mother. I've tried the whole having people look through a cloth sheet in attempt to reproduce my vision and giving them my cane to walk around with, but usually they just freak out and think it's something that would be insurmountable if it ever happened to them. So it also depends a lot on the person you're handing the blindfold/earplugs to.

That's really cool what your eye doctor gave you.

 

[deafdyke]

Yes some learn ASL as adults, but only those who were uhappy growing up oral. Do you have ANYTHING to back up the statement that it is "most"?

Um I think you misunderstood my post. I did not say that most AG Bell folks pick up ASL as a second language Quite a few do, and it is very common to see 'terps at AG Bell conferences, as well as see oral kids go off to NTID for college.
Actually, if I recall it's not that unusual for a kid to be OK orally one on one, but need a 'terp in the classroom or in groups.
What I meant is that the total dhh population is large, but most of the total dhh folks out there are late deafened. Like they are "classic" HLAA members, who tend to be more into ALDs and How the Ear Hears.