Hearing Impaired

Liza said:
I make no bones about calling myself "deaf" when I meet peeps. If they give me the big brush off, they are simply not worthy of my amazing presence and charm. :giggle:
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I like your style!:giggle:
 
Liza said:
I make no bones about calling myself "deaf" when I meet peeps. If they give me the big brush off, they are simply not worthy of my amazing presence and charm. :giggle:
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:h5: Cool!!
 
People for some reason will talk down to me or scream at me when I tell them I am deaf or hearing impaired.

I use the term "hearing impaired" when visiting doctors and "deaf" when out in the community.

I don't like going through the docs trying to get me an interpreter or fighting me on being deaf. Sometimes its just easier to read lips and use the residual hearing I still have left.

I can fake it well, some don't even know I am deaf. I speak like everyone else! My spoken English is perfect!
 
I dont have a 'problem' with 'impaired hearing' with doctors discuss medicine as long as it stays there and nothing else, though i dont lke it either, but i arent going to hold a grudge on that one.
However, its a different story with the label "hearing impaired" , for it implys ' a problematic deaf person, not functioning properly because they lack full access to language and social aspects of the hearingist society. Moreso that hearing people totally dont know deaf culture, and even more frustrating that they 'heard of it before' but dont appreciate it. That I dont appreciate their 'second-time choice to ignore'.
I prefer to be called deaf, sadly I cant consider myself "Deaf" as I am not culturally deaf, I didnt have the chance, and alway suffers Deafism, ni my hometown, and they even accuse me of being an audist, In this country. Deaf people here are like 10-15 years behind USA, UK in as far as social awareness within the deaf community especially when considering the widest perimeter of the deaf 'world', in a la-Paddy-Ladd-type of Deafhoodism.
Actually I may be "half-Deaf", if there's a such a term, it would describe me well.
I hope in some stage, this would changes, but for now im too busy to associate with beer-drinking, rugby-watching crowd fo rthey are so boring, that its' got nothing to do with 'avoiding the deafies' I have some deaf freinds too, and I cherish their freindship see them once in while for cup of teas (not in the 'drop-in' Office- I hate that scene , skeptical of them associations).....

but anyway, im saying i disagre with hearing impaired too, but for strictly audiological use hearing impaired IO just couldn't careless- nothing will change their minds, - though SOME are 'so called' enlightened to learnt some SL, but still however skeptical at why's that...

im just deaf, not yet Deaf, and I hope to in future, sick of plonding along in the hard-to-enjoy hearing world (while the wrong kind of crowd in the local Deaf groups) Hmmmmm, I have a right to be Deaf, just give me a chance, maybe when I leave the dull NZ...maye another city, but doubt it, I'm sick of NZ too

I can 'pass-off' too, but I know it doesnt do me any good...its not being truthful in a sense.... but I'd stop here and now I dont wanna get flamed, becuase 'I'm not deaf enough' which is untrue
 
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jasin said:
Hearing impaired is a medical term, but not even really that anymore. I think most ent doctors prefer the term "hard of hearing" now a days. Hearing impaired is also a term lawyers and disability advocates will sometimes use. The term "Hearing impaired" is not a cultural term or even a term most deaf people use. In my opinion, deaf is deaf whether you are partially deaf of completely deaf.
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I agree too.
 
That is hearing impaire. Some one people is really hearing loss become deafness. That is why important to deaf become cannot hear, sometimes fever hit you become deaf happened.........
 
No need to say where I am at on this issue. :giggle:

However I do want to add that the term "hearing impaired" may be a medical terminology and do notice that a certain part of the population--embraces it. It's the senior citizens.....

Hopefully when there is another generation shift--hopefully the term would be by the wayside.
 
I don't use the word hearing impaired. I just simply say I am deaf or HOH.
 
Babyblue said:
I don't use the word hearing impaired. I just simply say I am deaf or HOH.
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As do most. I dislike the term, simply because of the connotation it implies. However, if another person wishes to refer to themselves as "hearing impaired", then I will respect that decision for them. However, they don't have the right to use it for someone who objects to it. They can only use it to refer to themselves.
 
jillio said:
As do most. I dislike the term, simply because of the connotation it implies. However, if another person wishes to refer to themselves as "hearing impaired", then I will respect that decision for them. However, they don't have the right to use it for someone who objects to it. They can only use it to refer to themselves.
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This is how I feel as well. Prior to receiving CIs (when I had enough hearing to understand speech with an FM system), I always called myself hard of hearing or deafblind.
 
Totally backwards for me

I have never been offended by the labeling of "hearing impaired" ever. I've always called myself hearing impaired since I was 4 years old. and I'm 19 now. I didn't hear of the term " hard of hearing" until I was in like middle school, its sounds awkward to me and HOH? Never heard of that... WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE I DON'T UNDERSTAND! and the funny thing about this whole topic is that, for me when I was growing up... its was switched backwards. I HATED it when people said I was deaf. You dont call someone with glasses or contacts "blind" do you? You dont call someone with a learning disability "mentally handicap". When someone is deaf, they hear NOTHING. when someone is blind they see NOTHING. I am not deaf. because I CAN hear ..but I just have a 60%percentage loss in one ear and a 40% loss in the other. When someone says what is hearing impaired? I say it just means I can't hear as well as someone who has normal hearing. The definition of the impairment: Weakening, damage. So please explain why is it offensive. and PLEASE what is the deal with HOH?thank you!:wave:
 
Your not alone

Tousi said:
I think I'm between a rock and a hard place in this specific arena: I speak to a lot of hearing people so I feel like I have to preface my conversations with each new, having-never-met-before hearing person that I am hearing impaired. I do this because I'm afraid if I say I'm deaf, that might spell the death knell of that encounter. I also alternatively say I'm hard-of-hearing before conversations commence.

No hate mail, please. Lol....
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HIGHFIVE I cant see why its so offensive the definition of impairment just means weakness or damage. sometimes I say 'I have a hearing disability" to change it up a little because I have been saying hearing impaired for the last 15 years lol.
 
Hearing impaired doesn't bother me.
Deaf doesn't bother me.
Hard of hearing doesn't bother me (although it is inaccurate for me, because, well, I'm pretty deaf).

I will respect whatever others call themselves, though.
 
mizJade said:
HIGHFIVE I cant see why its so offensive the definition of impairment just means weakness or damage. sometimes I say 'I have a hearing disability" to change it up a little because I have been saying hearing impaired for the last 15 years lol.
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Because the implication of the term is that you are broken and in need of fixing. Many, many people object to this implication. If you don't mind that implication being applied to yourself, that's fine. Your self image is yours. However, please do not use such a term to refer to those that object to it.
 
I notice that the word deaf seems to make many hearing nervous so I often say I'm a bit hard of hearing.
 
In the past, I never used to be bothered when people would call me hearing impaired, but now it grates on my last nerve because it implies that I am less of an individual than someone who can hear. What's wrong with saying I'm deaf? I get the same kind of thing from sighties who call me visually impaired, sightless (I HATE that!), visually challenged, legally blind or visually handicapped (I hate this term just as much as sightless). What is so difficult about saying the word blind, deaf or deafblind? You're not going to offend me because it is what it is.
 
If someone calls me "hearing impaired," I correct them right on the spot. I'd rather have my underwear stuck between my crack than accept that term in reference to me.

I'm Deaf.
 
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