C.I Users - considered Deaf or Hard of Hearing?

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Hockey94

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As a kid, I've been referred to as hard of hearing with hearing aids until 2006 when I received my first cochlear implant. At the time, I still thought I'd be hard of hearing as I still have a hearing aid in my other ear.

In 2011, I got my second implant done and it's not until now that I'm not sure what to tell people if I'm hard of hearing or deaf. The two terms doesn't seem right for C.I users as I can be both in a way in certain situations.

I have a friend who has bilateral C.I's and she tells people she's deaf. However it does not make sense to me, as I always known the word deaf - for those who cannot hear at all. And hard of hearing - those who are not able to hear well.

With my C.I's, I can hear most of the time, except at night or certain times like swimming where I can't hear at all.

I really don't know what to tell people - if I'm deaf or hard of hearing. Or which term is often correct for C.I users.
 
Call yourself deaf or hard of hearing. I have bilateral CIs but still say I'm deaf, because honestly, when I don't have my CIs on I am DEAF (and even with my CI's on I'm still struggling a bit as it's still a work in progress for me). Use whichever one you like for yourself.

Deaf (with capital D) is culturally Deaf, involved in the Deaf community, using ASL, etc.
deaf (which is what I use for myself) is more of a medical viewpoint (or those who don't consider themselves Deaf).
Hard of hearing, someone who has a hard time hearing, even with hearing devices.


I think it's really a matter of personal preference.
 
cdmeggers said:
Call yourself deaf or hard of hearing. I have bilateral CIs but still say I'm deaf, because honestly, when I don't have my CIs on I am DEAF (and even with my CI's on I'm still struggling a bit as it's still a work in progress for me). Use whichever one you like for yourself.

Deaf (with capital D) is culturally Deaf, involved in the Deaf community, using ASL, etc.
deaf (which is what I use for myself) is more of a medical viewpoint (or those who don't consider themselves Deaf).
Hard of hearing, someone who has a hard time hearing, even with hearing devices.


I think it's really a matter of personal preference.
Click to expand...

What she said :gpost:
 
I think you should refer to yourself based on communicating your needs. I'm deaf without my processor, but that is of no bearing to co workers or random people I run in to street. People close to me that are likely to encounter me without my processor have the fact I cannot hear them at all explained.

Hard of hearing is a good choice of description for your CI hearing since you won't always hear perfectly, but you don't want the other extreme of having people over compensate.
 
cdmeggers said:
Call yourself deaf or hard of hearing. I have bilateral CIs but still say I'm deaf, because honestly, when I don't have my CIs on I am DEAF (and even with my CI's on I'm still struggling a bit as it's still a work in progress for me). Use whichever one you like for yourself.

Deaf (with capital D) is culturally Deaf, involved in the Deaf community, using ASL, etc.
deaf (which is what I use for myself) is more of a medical viewpoint (or those who don't consider themselves Deaf).
Hard of hearing, someone who has a hard time hearing, even with hearing devices.


I think it's really a matter of personal preference.
Click to expand...

shel90 said:
What she said :gpost:
Click to expand...

Ditto.

personal preference is the answer to your self esteem.
 
If I'm talking to a sales clerk, waitress, nurse or doctor, I usually tell them I am deaf but I have a Cochlear Implant that helps me hear and to please speak nice and slow so I can read your lips.
 
I struggle with this one.

If I say that I'm deaf, then people assume that I can't hear at all or very little most of the time and must depend on ASL, even though with my speech you couldn't tell the difference between myself and a hearing person if all you were given was auditory information. However, I do outdoor activities in groups of people and it's necessary for the others to know that I can't hear without the processors. During those times yes, I am deaf, but otherwise I don't consider myself deaf when I am using my processors, functionally speaking.

Hard of hearing just makes it vague for people to understand and judge how hard of hearing. Slightly, mildly; yes, beyond that in my case, probably not.
 
If it comes up in conversation, I'll say I'm technically deaf but with my CI's I hear as well as anyone. Most people give me the :jaw: look when I tell them that because they don't notice my processors and I have no problems hearing them and they are surprised that I am "deaf"
 
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