"Hearing Impaired" = offensive?

I say deaf. I am not offended but what others may say or ask.
 
I say deaf, but I am verbal. Just can't hear a darn thing at all.
 
I dont like the word "impaired" to describe me. My personal preference not to be called hearing impaired.
 
Tousi said:
I just say deaf until I'm in a situation where saying HoH is better.
Click to expand...

In really noisy areas, to people I will never meet again, I say "deaf" cause it's easier than launching into an explanation.
 
CJB said:
In really noisy areas, to people I will never meet again, I say "deaf" cause it's easier than launching into an explanation.
Click to expand...

OIC, okay; it is the other way around for me.
 
Tousi said:
OIC, okay; it is the other way around for me.
Click to expand...

Ditto here. I like Koko's respone to the question are you deaf and mute? However I'd just say yes instead of sure if I get asked that question. No one would ever call me mute once I open my mouth. I find it much easier to convince people I'm deaf if i don't open my mouth at all.
 
CJB said:
People don't get confused when you say you're deaf but then you can hear some things?
Click to expand...

I see what you are getting at. I say I'm deaf, generally speaking, especially so within the (most of them here know exactly where I am in this regard) culture. But not with hearing folks.
 
deafskeptic said:
Ditto here. I like Koko's respone to the question are you deaf and mute? However I'd just say yes instead of sure if I get asked that question. No one would ever call me mute once I open my mouth. I find it much easier to convince people I'm deaf if i don't open my mouth at all.
Click to expand...
:lol: I think maybe Koko was kidding. I highly doubt he gets asked those sort of things.
 
Tousi said:
I see what you are getting at. I say I'm deaf, generally speaking, especially so within the (most of them here know exactly where I am in this regard) culture. But not with hearing folks.
Click to expand...

That makes a lot more sense. Other deaf people get that deafness comes in degrees. Hearing people don't always get that.
 
I am hearing imparied....and as long as the complete term is used I am not offended.
But to say I am "imparied" is to prepare yourself for a ear full!!!
 
rolling7 said:
I am hearing imparied....and as long as the complete term is used I am not offended.
But to say I am "imparied" is to prepare yourself for a ear full!!!
Click to expand...
:lol:That's a new one!

Leads me to ask, and let me say in advance that it won't offend me one way or the other but are you anywhere within the deaf culture?
 
Why would anybody within the Deaf culture get mad if someone says to them, "I'm hearing impaired."?
 
Here's how I see it. I think hearing impaired is a subtype of HoH.They tend to be older (lost their hearing via age or as older adults) or feel like the disabilty truely impairs their functioning. I don't like the term b/c it just sounds so freaking negative. I'm not hetrosexual impaired or Y chromosome impaired. I am GAY and a woman.
 
CJB said:
In really noisy areas, to people I will never meet again, I say "deaf" cause it's easier than launching into an explanation.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's why I always said A was deaf to people we meet on a quick meeting, so I didn't have to explain his loss, why he was deaf/hoh etc... but would take time if it is someone we'll see again etc... now I don't know what I'll say w/the new results lol
 
ExR said:
I've read elsewhere that many deaf or HoH people find the use of the term "Hearing Impaired" to be offensive. I honestly don't see what's wrong with the term. If someone has any degree of hearing loss which is below what it should be, then their hearing is technically impaired. So why do some get offended by the term? Why is it often considered more PC to say "Hard of Hearing" instead?

Personally, I'm not offended by this term at all. I always use the term if I need to tell someone that I can't hear as well as others can. It is also less effort to say "Hearing Impaired" given that it's shorter and also because both words use similar sounds. Not that it really matters that much ofc!

ExR
Click to expand...
I agree. I'm another that finds "hearing impaired" to be somewhat in the "middle of the road". Whereas I'm not culturally deaf but I'm not exactly only "hard of hearing" either.

I also find "hearing impaired" to lessen the tone, the intensity as opposed to "deaf" which is more final. And may give off the impression that one cannot hear anything at all which usually isn't the case especially for those with HA's or CI's.
 
Back
Top