"Hearing Impaired" = offensive?

kokonut said:
I see it as the hearing that's impaired, not the person. Just as I see the words "visually impaired" to mean that the vision is impaired, not the person. Yet I don't see people with visual impairments go up in arm over the term "visually impaired." I see it as much ado over nothing. Maybe a cultural thing that's running amok?
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There's just as much controversy over terminology in the blind community. Some people take issue with the term "visually impaired" for a lot of parallel reasons, like thinking it indicates they have more vision than they do (or any at all if they're total). On the flip side, NFB members who would be considered visually impaired by the medical community often call themselves "blind" because they function as a blind person, in the sense they rely on non-visual techniques to do everyday tasks instead of trying to rely on a small percentage of vision.
 
kokonut said:
"Hearing impaired" is not "mentally impaired" just as "visually impaired" has nothing to do with "mentally impaired."
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again, not expecting you wanting to understand and acknowledge.

I'll try one more time. you see, I'm deaf. how? I had menigitis when infant. since I had that, I'm officially labelled mind-damaged. yup, just because of my deafness, communication "problems" (barriers) and my unusual frustration, I was labelled mentally challenged/troubled child by doctors, social workers and especially my parents all my childhood and to most of my relatives to this day even though I'm doing good. my parents, especially my mother who did not really want to deal with me took that labels so people could feel sorry for them and use them as excuses to put me away every time I come back home.

often deafness are caused by some disease, not 'naturally born', and often deafness comes with a physical disability or blindness or/and brain damages. so, impaired sounds so much like a fit to that. unfortunately because I'm hearing imparied, I was mistreated...at A LOT of times. most of my life. like I said in my post previously, automatically. so I think it has a lot to do with mental impairment too.
 
freckles said:
well, I never consider HOH people, especially with HAs deaf. with HAs, you can hear. deaf means you can't hear. even with HAs.

I'd like a simple (specific) answer and but when you only said "not a hearie," I thought two things; 1) you did not liked being called hearie (again, you might would have quoted that word and insert a source why), and/or 2) that you're deaf/ASLer but not HOH with HAs.

so, why was my response interesting?
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That would be true had I said it in quotes:

I'm certainly not a "hearie."

You asked whether I'm a hearing person or a deaf one. I replied. Nothing about adding more details unless you asked. Why bother with this now? Another poster has already filled in the blanks for you about my status.
 
freckles said:
again, not expecting you wanting to understand and acknowledge.

I'll try one more time. you see, I'm deaf. how? I had menigitis when infant. since I had that, I'm officially mind-damaged. yup, just because of my deafness, communication "problems" (barriers) and my unusual frustration, I was labelled mentally challenged, troubled child all my childhood and to most of my relatives to this day even though I'm doing good. my parents took that labels so people could feel sorry for them and use them as excuses to put me away every time I come back home.

often deafness are caused by some disease, not 'naturally born', and often deafness comes with a physical disability or blindness or/and brain damages. so, impaired sounds so much like a fit to that. unfortunately because I'm hearing imparied, I was mistreated...at A LOT of times. most of my life.
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That's fine. That's how you see it. For me, I see no real problem with the words "hearing impaired" any more than a person described as "visually impaired." It talks about the impairment of the sensory organ...not about the person. But I can get where people are coming from about the words "hearing impaired" and why they don't like that. It's not lost on me. I think it's much ado about nothing than anything else. JMHO.
 
kokonut said:
That's fine. That's how you see it. For me, I see no real problem with the words "hearing impaired" any more than a person described as "visually impaired." It talks about the impairment of the sensory organ...not about the person. But I can get where people are coming from about the words "hearing impaired" and why they don't like that. It's not lost on me. I think it's much ado about nothing than anything else. JMHO.
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*chuckles*... it was (or is?) the way I see it BECAUSE it's the way most people see it. they taught me that hearing impaired is as nasty. :dunno2: I began my life as an innocent child.

you'll just offend the person calling them the term they asked you please not to, oh just because it's the way you see it is just pathetic.

"deaf" is way much more cleaner term and neutral.
 
freckles said:
*chuckles*... it was (or is?) the way I see it BECAUSE it's the way most people see it. they taught me that hearing impaired is as nasty. :dunno2: I began my life as an innocent child.

you'll just offend the person calling them the term they asked you please not to, oh just because it's the way you see it is just pathetic.

"deaf" is way much more cleaner term and neutral.
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Who is this "most people" are you talking about. The general population of people with hearing loss which means some 30 million people with hearing loss or the Deaf comunity?
 
kokonut said:
That would be true had I said it in quotes:

I'm certainly not a "hearie."

You asked whether I'm a hearing person or a deaf one. I replied. Nothing about adding more details unless you asked. Why bother with this now? Another poster has already filled in the blanks for you about my status.
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oh, just explaining why you should be nice. I'm no english expert and you exactly didn't replied nicely.
 
kokonut said:
Who is this "most people" are you talking about. The general population of people with hearing loss which means some 30 million people with hearing loss or the Deaf comunity?
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wow, are you now reading impaired too? :giggle: most people are, doctors, social workers, judges, cops, enforcement law people, attorneys, citizens and more generally who are hearing. there are more hearies than HOHs and even deafies together, right?
 
freckles said:
well, I never consider HOH people, especially with HAs deaf. with HAs, you can hear. deaf means you can't hear. even with HAs.
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:P You just eliminated almost every member here! A very small percent of people can hear zero!
 
freckles said:
wow, are you now reading impaired too? :giggle: most people are, doctors, social workers, judges, cops, enforcement law people, attorneys, citizens and more generally who are hearing. there are more hearies than HOHs and even deafies together, right?
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I should have rephrased it better. Out of the 30 million people with hearing loss would most of them consider "hearing impaired" a "nasty" description of their hearing loss?
 
Bottesini said:
:P You just eliminated almost every member here! A very small percent of people can hear zero!
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lol, if in that case, then most members here like me aren't here? in other words, profoundly deaf. no any other devices can help.

I know some people can't hear without HAs and do when with HAs. that's HOH, right? :dizzy: just saying what dictionary says; unable to hear. it didn't say with or without devices though.
 
freckles said:
lol, if in that case, then most members here like me aren't here? in other words, profoundly deaf. no any other devices can help.

I know some people can't hear without HAs and do when with HAs. that's HOH, right? :dizzy: just saying what dictionary says; unable to hear. it didn't say with or without devices though.
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I loved it. I have adopted it as my signature. :wave:
 
I imagine there are a lot of deaf who are looking like HoH but really aren't because they wear a hearing aid solely for stimulus from the environment that DEFINITELY does NOT include listening & comprehending and using speech. My wife is one of them.
 
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freckles said:
lol, if in that case, then most members here like me aren't here? in other words, profoundly deaf. no any other devices can help.

I know some people can't hear without HAs and do when with HAs. that's HOH, right? :dizzy: just saying what dictionary says; unable to hear. it didn't say with or without devices though.
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Guess I am not deaf or Deaf for that matter. :) I can communicate with hearing people orally, probably more dependent on body language and lipreading than hearing, and I do hear some conversations with hearing aids. I will still consider myself as deaf and Deaf though, regardless of what anyone says, because I feel more comfortable with those labels. From what I can understand, from reading other people's posts, I probably behave more like WriteAlex, naisho or kokonut in the hearing world socially.
 
souggy said:
From what I can understand, from reading other people's posts, I probably behave more like WriteAlex, naisho or kokonut in the hearing world socially.
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what about me? :aw:
 
freckles said:
lol, if in that case, then most members here like me aren't here? in other words, profoundly deaf. no any other devices can help.

I know some people can't hear without HAs and do when with HAs. that's HOH, right? :dizzy: just saying what dictionary says; unable to hear. it didn't say with or without devices though.
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I can hear without my hearing aid, even use my cell phone to talk on it. It's even better when I'm in the water swimming and I'm talking to people near me.
 
souggy said:
I have an inkling we're not quite on the same plane.

:cuddle:

But we still have ASL! And screaming matches!
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oh gee I see. It's cuz I can't hear thru phone and ya'all can. I see. :roll:

I'll just go make my own club - "HOH & CELLPHONE-DEAF!"
 
I think i remember Naisho or Jiro speaking a short line to me and it was great.
 
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