I'm oral and HOH...who else?I

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ceelynncee

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I come here to alldeaf (and we are all a degree of deaf) hoping to find common experiences,share frustrations and cheer victories. I am seeking understanding. What I find is a huge board with battle lines drawn between oral deaf (me) and ASL users. I don't know ASL. It didn't seep in as I was losing my hearing. I know if I tap my elbow with my opposite fist it means cracker. Do we really have so little in common? I'm HOH, I work my butt off everyday to communicate with the people around me. Should I be shut out here?
 
Wirelessly posted

I am also HOH with RP and work my butt off communicating with hearing people on a daily basis. I also learned ASL and socialize with Deaf friends at deaf events when I get a chance to doso.

Yes, you are welcome to this forum as anyone else is.
 
ceelynncee said:
I come here to alldeaf (and we are all a degree of deaf) hoping to find common experiences,share frustrations and cheer victories. I am seeking understanding. What I find is a huge board with battle lines drawn between oral deaf (me) and ASL users. I don't know ASL. It didn't seep in as I was losing my hearing. I know if I tap my elbow with my opposite fist it means cracker. Do we really have so little in common? I'm HOH, I work my butt off everyday to communicate with the people around me. Should I be shut out here?
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Hi ceelynncee! Moderate to severe in my left ear, severe to profound in my right and I don't know ASL either. It is hard adapting to situations but I find if you work hard, stay focused, and keep an open mind - you can accomplish a lot. Welcome to the forum...:wave:

Laura
 
Welcome to Alldeaf.com ceelynncee. Although I am bilateral DEAF with a Cochlear Implant. I also speak. I don't use ASL. I don't consider I am "cultural deaf". Nor do I consider" hearing people" to part of "hearing culutre".
Aside: I have asked many hearing persons: do you know of "hearing culture"? Answer to date: never heard of such.
So much for "oppression"

There is an ongoing debate: triggered by Cochlear Implants-who is "deaf"? Should we continue to do what was done in the past time?

Strange to study Sociology re "culture". Such is life on the computer.
More points to consider in one's life-amongst others!
 
Guys, they've been a member for over 3 years....I'm just saying.

I'd say yes, we're all welcome, while our views may sometimes not be. But I stick my 2 cents in everywhere anyway. There are many views about any given subject, nobody would ever learn anything if they only talked to people with the same view. Plus all kumbayish and boring.
 
Late-deafened...oral also...but picked up ASL....and I'm glad I did as I can converse in both worlds.....I would encourage you to learn ASL....as it's my opinion that the older you get....the harder it is to lipread and understand so much!.....Plus....feel that you would feel like you "fit it" with other totally deafies also, being able to communicate....Good Luck!
 
Battles are every where!! Guys who agree that turbo are the best thing EVER often argue about what is worth to turbocharge and what is not worth turbocharging. Don't sweat the small stuffs. Just be yourself. You'll be fine.
 
I'm moderate HoH in both ears and I too have issues communicating, so I go out of my way not to communicate, which isn't hard for me because I never feel a need to be social, except when I'm forced to and that is a problem for me.
 
ceelynncee said:
I come here to alldeaf (and we are all a degree of deaf) hoping to find common experiences,share frustrations and cheer victories. I am seeking understanding. What I find is a huge board with battle lines drawn between oral deaf (me) and ASL users. I don't know ASL. It didn't seep in as I was losing my hearing. I know if I tap my elbow with my opposite fist it means cracker. Do we really have so little in common? I'm HOH, I work my butt off everyday to communicate with the people around me. Should I be shut out here?
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I personally use ASL, and I have only had hearing problems for around 5 years. I started learning it when the doctors started running all their "fancy tests" lol!

However, I will say not everyone on this site is deaf or HoH, there are hearies here... *looks around* shhhh.... Be very very quiet... They'll hear you... :laugh2: Just kidding... A little... =P But seriously, the site is made up of deafies and hearies alike. =P But I'm sure a lot of people are oral, it's becoming more and more common. I've talked to a lot of deaf people who didn't sign. =P Don't feel so alone. =) You can always teach yourself ASL if you really want to. =)
 
Phoenix23 said:
I personally use ASL, and I have only had hearing problems for around 5 years. I started learning it when the doctors started running all their "fancy tests" lol!

However, I will say not everyone on this site is deaf or HoH, there are hearies here... *looks around* shhhh.... Be very very quiet... They'll hear you... :laugh2: Just kidding... A little... =P But seriously, the site is made up of deafies and hearies alike. =P But I'm sure a lot of people are oral, it's becoming more and more common. I've talked to a lot of deaf people who didn't sign. =P Don't feel so alone. =) You can always teach yourself ASL if you really want to. =)
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I considered just using ASL full time, but I'm only a little proficient in it.
 
Saavik said:
I considered just using ASL full time, but I'm only a little proficient in it.
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Eh, it's to each their own. Some prefer ASL ( myself ) and some prefer oral. However you choose to communicate is your own preference. =P You'll always find people who are for and against both. =P
 
Phoenix23 said:
Eh, it's to each their own. Some prefer ASL ( myself ) and some prefer oral. However you choose to communicate is your own preference. =P You'll always find people who are for and against both. =P
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I'd rather sign than oral to be honest, but I'd feel like a phony if I did since I'm only HoH and not deaf.
 
Saavik said:
I'd rather sign than oral to be honest, but I'd feel like a phony if I did since I'm only HoH and not deaf.
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Pffffft don't! We're all one community. =) I'm HOH technically... I am around 80 dec in my right and 70 in my left. So yes I'm "HOH" but I don't ever tell people when I meet them I'm HOH, I say I'm deaf... and I definitely sign. =) Lots of HOH people sign! Don't let that make you feel phony or anything like that! As I said, we're all one community, and everyone is the same. I know hearing people that sign just because they love ASL. We meet up and have "voice off sessions." Where they just want to communicate in sign, which is fine by me because when I'm not working, I don't wear a H.A. and I go voice off. =P
 
I grew up oral but now have chosen sign language as my preference.
 
Saavik said:
I'd rather sign than oral to be honest, but I'd feel like a phony if I did since I'm only HoH and not deaf.
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There are hearing people who use ASL to communicate. Doesn't matter if you are deaf or HOH...go ahead and sign away! :)
 
Saavik said:
I'd rather sign than oral to be honest, but I'd feel like a phony if I did since I'm only HoH and not deaf.
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eh who cares. communicate in however you want it. just make sure it's clear for others to understand.
 
Saavik said:
I'd rather sign than oral to be honest, but I'd feel like a phony if I did since I'm only HoH and not deaf.
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Don't worry about degrees of loss; just do what's comfortable. But if there's slim pickings out there, get proficient at everything.....:D
 
My friend's car is in the shop, so he asked me to pick up his meds for him. I was going to try just going ASL as I like it more than attempting to orally communicate. I didn't do it because I felt as if I were doing something forbidden, so I struggled through orally.

I guess the thing that gets me is my own ignorance. Do you just use ASL or go straight to writing things down? Since I still have some hearing left and was hearing for most of my life, I love music and have old band shirts. What do you do when someone randomly comes across you and asks you something and you don't understand them but don't want to look like a moron asking them to repeat and want to 'play deaf' rather than orally communicate.

I feel when I orally communicate that I sound like an idiot and that bothers me, so I never communicate. I hope someone can answer my odd questions to give me the confidence to go sound off.

I'm still practicing ASL on my own, I can say lots of fairly basic sentences, which is on par with small talk and normal oral conversation ramblings.
 
Saavik said:
My friend's car is in the shop, so he asked me to pick up his meds for him. I was going to try just going ASL as I like it more than attempting to orally communicate. I didn't do it because I felt as if I were doing something forbidden, so I struggled through orally.

I guess the thing that gets me is my own ignorance. Do you just use ASL or go straight to writing things down? Since I still have some hearing left and was hearing for most of my life, I love music and have old band shirts. What do you do when someone randomly comes across you and asks you something and you don't understand them but don't want to look like a moron asking them to repeat and want to 'play deaf' rather than orally communicate.

I feel when I orally communicate that I sound like an idiot and that bothers me, so I never communicate. I hope someone can answer my odd questions to give me the confidence to go sound off.

I'm still practicing ASL on my own, I can say lots of fairly basic sentences, which is on par with small talk and normal oral conversation ramblings.
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I tell them I can't hear them...
 
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