Difference between HARD of HEARING and DEAF

Status
Not open for further replies.
there are such thing as false pride, so beware, 'Deaf Pride' is also a weapon, to abuse, to brainwash themselves/ others and if used/expressed right its a mark of being real, to acknowledge you are in peace with yourself and others. I dont like it when big 'organisations' uses this, it seems on the surface as a 'awareness' education to help, but its also masks those organisations intend to pacify and control, even make profit of culture, which is wrong. it has to come from not 'leaders' but as real reflections on self worth and acknowledge their place in the world of the hearing why ere expectations is wrongly put and set too high that creates hardship and depression onto d/Deaf people, because oftentime we 'cant compete' against the hearies.

thats just my view, others might not get it or disagree or whatever. im not saying Deaf Pride is good, and bad. its contextual, it depends where and why it is expression, for personal or for promotion an organsation where it should be promoting self-worth of the d/Deaf individuals who deserved a break from the all-bearing pressures of the hearing world.
that's all.
 
AlleyCat said:
I'm the same as Frisky.

I wear HAs, but they only help me hear noises. I can't make out speech, and certainly cannot hear the phone, even though I can speak.

I am active at our local Deaf club - we play games (board games, poker, etc. -- that type of games) etc.

I have always considered myself Deaf even though I can hear noises with HAs.
Click to expand...

im similar, but i dont go to deaf clubs, not now , way too busy with study!
 
For a moment, lets set aside, for brevity, the issue of totally not being able to hear.

As I said before, it is a philosophical difference not a physical one. Both HoH and Deaf people are deaf(meaning they both do not have 20/20 hearing).

The difference is that Deaf philosophically choose not to hear, regardless of the existence of a technological ability.

In plain English: Deaf(with a capitol D) don't want to hear based on the belief that there is nothing wrong with not hearing.

On the other hand, HoH people do not share that belief and use any means available to utilize their remaining hearing.

Does this not answer the question?
 
VacationGuy234 said:
For a moment, lets set aside, for brevity, the issue of totally not being able to hear.

As I said before, it is a philosophical difference not a physical one. Both HoH and Deaf people are deaf(meaning they both do not have 20/20 hearing).

The difference is that Deaf philosophically choose not to hear, regardless of the existence of a technological ability.

In plain English: Deaf(with a capitol D) don't want to hear based on the belief that there is nothing wrong with not hearing.

On the other hand, HoH people do not share that belief and use any means available to utilize their remaining hearing.

Does this not answer the question?
Click to expand...

That's an interesting perspective, I think I like it. Although I think it leaves out people with milder losses, they are HoH too, but they can hear even without their aids, they can't hear everything, oh no, so they're not really "deaf". Even when my loss was severe if I didn't have my aids in if you talked directly into my ear I could hear and understand you. I could do that up til maybe 2 or 3 years ago. Now you could scream in my ear and I wouldn't hear it lol. I'd feel your breath and maybe the vibrations.

I think what you describe is more the difference between deaf and Deaf, which I thin is where I fall in. I don't know it's seems a bit more complicated than that. I think LoveBlue has made the most accurate description.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
In plain English: Deaf(with a capitol D) don't want to hear based on the belief that there is nothing wrong with not hearing.
Click to expand...

No. I disagree.

I consider myself a capital D Deaf, and I do choose to hear with my HAs. It doesn't make me inferior to other Deaf.

None of my Deaf friends have ever criticized me for my choice to wear HAs - they don't mock me or judge me for it.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
For a moment, lets set aside, for brevity, the issue of totally not being able to hear.

As I said before, it is a philosophical difference not a physical one. Both HoH and Deaf people are deaf(meaning they both do not have 20/20 hearing).

The difference is that Deaf philosophically choose not to hear, regardless of the existence of a technological ability.

In plain English: Deaf(with a capitol D) don't want to hear based on the belief that there is nothing wrong with not hearing.

On the other hand, HoH people do not share that belief and use any means available to utilize their remaining hearing.

Does this not answer the question?
Click to expand...

um yes but sort of raises more questions for me, I've have never come across this idea or concept before "HoH and deaf people are both deaf" is this by hearing standards, you've introduce a new concept to me please explain more...thanks for your patience in explaining :)
 
AlleyCat said:
No. I disagree.

I consider myself a capital D Deaf, and I do choose to hear with my HAs. It doesn't make me inferior to other Deaf.

None of my Deaf friends have ever criticized me for my choice to wear HAs - they don't mock me or judge me for it.
Click to expand...

And FYI -- that wasn't meant to be argumentive. I guess it is my perspective / opinion, which may not be the same as others'.
 
ambrosia said:
That's an interesting perspective, I think I like it. Although I think it leaves out people with milder losses, they are HoH too, but they can hear even without their aids, they can't hear everything, oh no, so they're not really "deaf". Even when my loss was severe if I didn't have my aids in if you talked directly into my ear I could hear and understand you. I could do that up til maybe 2 or 3 years ago. Now you could scream in my ear and I wouldn't hear it lol. I'd feel your breath and maybe the vibrations.

I think what you describe is more the difference between deaf and Deaf, which I thin is where I fall in. I don't know it's seems a bit more complicated than that. I think LoveBlue has made the most accurate description.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I think being deaf is a physical thing. You either have 20/20 hearing or you do not.

What you describe is the degree of ability at which it becomes difficult to communicate. The litmus test is not communication or ability to function in society because there are many different degrees as to how one group communicates and functions.

For example: If I can understand non-tonal languages fine, but can't understand tonal languages, I'm not deaf?
 
VacationGuy234 said:
I disagree. I think being deaf is a physical thing. You either have 20/20 hearing or you do not.

What you describe is the degree of ability at which it becomes difficult to communicate. The litmus test is not communication or ability to function in society because there are many different degrees as to how one group communicates and functions.

For example: If I can understand non-tonal languages fine, but can't understand tonal languages, I'm not deaf?
Click to expand...

hmmm This thread is getting interesting. I like this.

I think maybe my perspective is different because I've been through the entire spectrum of hearing loss from mild to profound at some point. I didn't just wake up deaf, and through all those stages I wouldn't have considered myself deaf until the last couple years when I reached profound loss, when I can hear absolutely nothing without my hearing aids.

Edited for a correction......I've been through ever stage from normal, not mild, to profound one ear deep profound in the other.
 
AlleyCat said:
No. I disagree.

I consider myself a capital D Deaf, and I do choose to hear with my HAs. It doesn't make me inferior to other Deaf.

None of my Deaf friends have ever criticized me for my choice to wear HAs - they don't mock me or judge me for it.
Click to expand...


YOU consider yourself deaf with a capital D, but do your friends consider YOU Deaf with a capital D? Seriously, think about that for a minute. Because if they do, then they really have to re-think what is, in fact, the Deaf Community.

The Deaf people that I know do not wear hearing aids. They would laugh at me when I tell them I'm going to someday lose my hearing. They do not see anything wrong with not having any hearing. I don't judge them for that belief and they don't judge me for my belief, but it is plain to us that we are different.

If that basic fact is not understood, then audism can not be understood. Really, there would be no such thing as audism if everyone thought it is OK to try and hear any way you can, right?
 
ambrosia said:
hmmm This thread is getting interesting. I like this.

I think maybe my perspective is different because I've been through the entire spectrum of hearing loss from mild to profound at some point. I didn't just wake up deaf, and through all those stages I wouldn't have considered myself deaf until the last couple years when I reached profound loss, when I can hear absolutely nothing without my hearing aids.
Click to expand...

This is getting more an more complicated I have moderate-severe in my right ear and moderate-severe to profound in my left ear. I wear a Bone Anchored Hearing, I am able to talk to people and use the phone an all of that, not anywhere near perfectly but I can. Is this not HoH or is HoH a person who is deaf 90db but can hear some stuff with HA that amplify residual hearing loss. Also I've never heard of HoH and deaf are basically both deaf....see how I'm getting a bit confused here.....?
 
ambrosia said:
hmmm This thread is getting interesting. I like this.

I think maybe my perspective is different because I've been through the entire spectrum of hearing loss from mild to profound at some point. I didn't just wake up deaf, and through all those stages I wouldn't have considered myself deaf until the last couple years when I reached profound loss, when I can hear absolutely nothing without my hearing aids.
Click to expand...

Trust me, when you have to physically fight someone as a kid because you are deaf you get a different perspective.
 
I consider myself both HoH & deaf. They're jus labels. Deaf (uppercase D) is a culture. I believe, and someone correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure they will), that a hearing person can be part of the Deaf culture.
 
Shara said:
This is getting more an more complicated I have moderate-severe in my right ear and moderate-severe to profound in my left ear. I wear a Bone Anchored Hearing, I am able to talk to people and use the phone an all of that, not anywhere near perfectly but I can. Is this not HoH or is HoH a person who is deaf 90db but can hear some stuff with HA that amplify residual hearing loss. Also I've never heard of HoH and deaf are basically both deaf....see how I'm getting a bit confused here.....?
Click to expand...

I think it might just depend on who you're talking to, and their opinions on the subject. :giggle:

Apparently none of knows lol, I think it's more important how you feel about it than how anyone else feels about it though.
 
LoveBlue said:
I consider myself both HoH & deaf. They're jus labels. Deaf (uppercase D) is a culture. I believe, and someone correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure they will), that a hearing person can be part of the Deaf culture.
Click to expand...

If you give up the aids, renounce hearing and use ASL, I'm pretty sure you are accepted.
 
LoveBlue said:
I consider myself both HoH & deaf. They're jus labels. Deaf (uppercase D) is a culture. I believe, and someone correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure they will), that a hearing person can be part of the Deaf culture.
Click to expand...

I consider myself both as well, I refer to myself as either, but most hearing people I know refer me as being deaf. The way I see it, unaided I'm deaf, aided I'm HoH, because aided I can hear, it's just hard :giggle:
 
so you get a different impact on your outlook, yes, thats about as 'explicit' it 'might go' but also there are institutional impact not just hospitals and schools, but workplaces and heaeing culture...we havent seen enough examples of these yet, it is still being played down on the demarcation between 'full deaf -Deaf or half deaf, Hoh' it becomes somewhat less blurred when we ask or observe 'how much does hoh understands hearing society more than Deaf' and more blurred when 'hearing understands deaf culture'...there still alot of inroads to be built and connected, and sometimes cal-de-sacs to be mapped out...

i am not sure if im making sense to any of you, it is just a rough draft of explorative thought
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top