Interesting question..what am i? deaf, hard of hearing or normal

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MelissaWatt

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I was out to lunch and walked in to meet some friends at Starbucks. An older gentleman and a friend and I got into a conversation about differences between Deaf, Hard of Hearing and normal along with it being a disability.
What is your take? I am considered profound deaf with bi lateral hearing aids. The audiologist tells me I am deaf but profound deaf yet I am considered hard of hearing.
The older crafty gentleman told me that I was not deaf by any means because my speech was impeccable and that I didn't use any sign language that I was normal like anyone else. My friend who is has cerebral palsy and is in a wheel chair told the gentleman that he felt that he would put me in the category of having a disability because of my profound hearing loss. He said that the minute she takes them out she can't hear anything.. so, she is legally deaf and that becomes a disability.
It was an odd conversation for me and yet I could not really tell either of them that they were right nor wrong.
Stuck in the middle... ugh
 
I have profound hearing loss. I still speak well (late-deafened). I tell people I'm deaf/HoH. Basically, as far as I'm concerned, I'm HoH when I have my HAs on because I can hear things and understand speech somewhat. Take them off and I barely hear some sounds with my better ear.

Last night when I took my HAs off, I could not even hear my own voice. But that's normal as my brain adjusts to not having the sound from the louder HAs.
 
I think you should go along with what you feel yourself to be , this remind of the blind men in a room with an elephant. They all had an difference opinion of what the elephant was .
 
I have severe to profound hearing loss which my husband tells me I am deaf but I was raised hearing so I always say hoh instead of deaf. bad habbit
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I think you should go along with what you feel yourself to be , this remind of the blind men in a room with an elephant. They all had an difference opinion of what the elephant was .
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Thanks for the reminder.. I just was trying to get a sense of what to tell this gentleman. He was certain he was right, but I let it go so that it would not create a disturbance.
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
I have severe to profound hearing loss which my husband tells me I am deaf but I was raised hearing so I always say hoh instead of deaf. bad habbit
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My husband says the same thing.. that I am deaf but I have always just say that I have a hard time hearing ( not the correct term ). My parents always used hard of hearing. My audiologist says profoundly deaf. I am just confused for the correct label.
 
LoveBlue said:
I have profound hearing loss. I still speak well (late-deafened). I tell people I'm deaf/HoH. Basically, as far as I'm concerned, I'm HoH when I have my HAs on because I can hear things and understand speech somewhat. Take them off and I barely hear some sounds with my better ear.

Last night when I took my HAs off, I could not even hear my own voice. But that's normal as my brain adjusts to not having the sound from the louder HAs.
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Thank you for your input. I was trying to get a sense of what to tell this gentleman the next time I see him. I guess I am feeling confused on the correct terminology to use or label. Its kind of confusing more so now. Worn hearing aids all my life and never really say it out loud.I can hear things and speech with hearing aids on. When I take them off. I don't hear speech unless spoken directly in my better ear. I don't hear soft noises. I can make some things out.
Thanks again for your input.
 
MelissaWatt said:
Thanks for the reminder.. I just was trying to get a sense of what to tell this gentleman. He was certain he was right, but I let it go so that it would not create a disturbance.
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Yeah that would be best to let it go , if he bring it up again you could let him know what you rather not put any label on yourself if this is how you feel . I am profoundly hoh and I call myself HOH , people call me deaf .
 
MelissaWatt said:
My husband says the same thing.. that I am deaf but I have always just say that I have a hard time hearing ( not the correct term ). My parents always used hard of hearing. My audiologist says profoundly deaf. I am just confused for the correct label.
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It's not a label. It's a description of your hearing.
Since "hard of hearing" ranges from mild to profound" people don't know how bad your hearing is if you say HoH. Since mine profound I usually add the deaf part to let them know how bad it is.
If the CI I'm getting in my worse ear works as well as i hope then I may go back to just saying HoH. I know I'm still deaf, but when I'm dealing with others I'll be HoH since I'll have the CI on.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
Yeah that would be best to let it go , if he bring it up again you could let him know what you rather not put any label on yourself if this is how you feel . I am profoundly hoh and I call myself HOH , people call me deaf .
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I ran into him again..thankfully he didn't bring up the discussion and I really like how you said this. :D
 
LoveBlue said:
It's not a label. It's a description of your hearing.
Since "hard of hearing" ranges from mild to profound" people don't know how bad your hearing is if you say HoH. Since mine profound I usually add the deaf part to let them know how bad it is.
If the CI I'm getting in my worse ear works as well as i hope then I may go back to just saying HoH. I know I'm still deaf, but when I'm dealing with others I'll be HoH since I'll have the CI on.
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I completely agree with the idea of it not being a label but a description. ~! Between you and whatdidyousay, I think I have an answer to this gentleman if this discussion comes up again and to any others who may bring this up . Thanks~!
 
Whatever you're comfortable explaining yourself to. Some people function at a HOH level but really is very deaf without the aids. At the end of the day when you take off the hearing aids, you are still you.
 
MotionInSilver said:
Whatever you're comfortable explaining yourself to. Some people function at a HOH level but really is very deaf without the aids. At the end of the day when you take off the hearing aids, you are still you.
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It is up to me but its harder to do now with all the different categories that have been created out there. I don't really know what to say.. but I will figure it out. Thank you .. yes, at the end of the day, when I go to bed and take them out. I am still me.. just me.
 
MelissaWatt said:
It is up to me but its harder to do now with all the different categories that have been created out there. I don't really know what to say.. but I will figure it out. Thank you .. yes, at the end of the day, when I go to bed and take them out. I am still me.. just me.
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I think what matters is what you feel comfortable with. If deaf feels true to you and accurately describes the accommodations and needs you have and it helps others understand that, then use it. If you feel like "hard of hearing" better fits you, use that.

When I taught in public school, I had one student with a profound hearing loss and bilateral cochlear implants who felt more comfortable with the term "person with a hearing loss" and another with a mild-moderate loss who didn't use hearing aids, could speak fluently but used Deaf because her parents were Deaf and she used ASL.
 
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