Is being deaf a disability or not?

Berry said:
I would only be normal in a world that believed understanding can only be achieved through full context and that humor is the highest path to sanity.

Doesn't look like I'm going to be normal any time soon.
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Guess I'm abnormal too, by that criteria!:lol:
 
being normal is overrated. :giggle:

i'm proud to be different (and mentally interesting too!). :D
 
Hear Again said:
i'm proud to be different (and mentally interesting too!). :D

.
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Ahhhh, said so wonderfully.

What is beauty, power, wealth, or fame,

Compared to a mind that isn't the same

As all the other minds I come across

Covered in the common social dross

Of what their peers all happily agree

Is right to say to the likes of you and me

Don't tell me what your friend or preacher said

Or ancient wise words you once read

Just tell me your own thoughts loud and clear

And I will always be happy to have you near

Copyright 2009 by Michael Berryman, all rights reserved.


Hey, look what you inspired.

Hope you like it as much as I do.
 
I've been reading for my own education on this topic matter- but let me just throw something in the mix- if I'm totally off let me know... thanks ;)

Wow,
I am also a "hearie"- or a person that can hear clearly. I am also a college student now taking a ASL class. I try to understand what everyone is saying about whether or not being d/Deaf is a disability. I believe that I can understand a little because I also have a cognitive disability- which makes academics, writing, reading very challenging for me. Some times when I even speak I can't get across what I'm actually trying to say!? Something happens between the thought in my head to my hand or my mouth that is lost in translation!

So do I have a disability- for a label yes. Do I get the hand outs(not $ or anything- although it would be nice) not always but I use them when I need them.

I look at it like this- from an outsiders eyes. That a "person" is never disabled, its the environment around them- whether job that makes noises, or a HUGE novel i have to read in a week- it's not going to happen without help. I'm well to take the extra help when I need it, but I will never exploit it!

Are my experiences like any or yours, or how you have felt before?
Does any of this make since?
 
Berry said:
Ahhhh, said so wonderfully.

What is beauty, power, wealth, or fame,

Compared to a mind that isn't the same

As all the other minds I come across

Covered in the common social dross

Of what their peers all happily agree

Is right to say to the likes of you and me

Don't tell me what your friend or preacher said

Or ancient wise words you once read

Just tell me your own thoughts loud and clear

And I will always be happy to have you near

Copyright 2009 by Michael Berryman, all rights reserved.


Hey, look what you inspired.

Hope you like it as much as I do.
Click to expand...

berry,

i came across your post a few minutes ago and it was perfect timing for me. i can't explain why, but just know that i appreciate you writing this. <very happy>
 
Depends. Here in the USA deafness tends to only be a disability within the law. Deafness is covered under the Americans with disabilities act and that's where it tends to fall under the category of being a disability.

Most Deafs themselves though do not consider their defeaness a disability outside of the law as we can do pretty much everything everyone else can without any limitations. The only difference between us and hearing people is we can not hear.
 
AlleyCat said:
Very good statement.

I've never considered myself as "normal" or "abnormal" but rather just a person that has some limitations. What those limitations are vary by every deaf person's perceptions. My limitations are in being able to use the phone, understand spoken speech without lipreading, and so forth. Yet for another deaf person, being able to use the Relay and/or VP makes them feel they do not have that limitation, and so forth. Being deaf feels more of a social and functional (e.g. in the workplace) issue rather than an actual physical disability, to me.
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Excellent perspective comment !
 
I am profoundly hoh, and I do consider it a disability. I am limited with many things in my life, that would not be limitations if i had my hearing. I do not allow it to stop me, and I try to do things that i normally shouldn't be able to do with my hearing loss. I play several instrument, to the point I was in a band, and making money. I missing the bones in one of my ears, the bones are responsible for balance, but I am an avid bicyclist, riding many long distance rides. The type of work I do requires good hearing ability, and I do ok with it. I have a disibility, but I am not going to let it cripple me.
 
I think there is a fine line between disability and discrimination, and I feel that if the economy is excessively reliant on hearing, then the government should help. Examples here are relay services for an economy reliant on the phone (My bank, for example, is *entirely* phone based, although I can do actual transfers using an internet website...) The government considers the physically disabled, the mentally disabled, and tries to make their lives easier. Why shouldn't they do the same to those who simply can't hear, especially if it is actually cheaper to accommodate for the deaf?

Case in point: a DVD renting machine has provisions for the blind and physically disabled, yet doesn't even display a 'CC' on captioned movies.

Often, catering for a deaf person is a simple matter. Subtitles on DVD's are an example. (Although I've heard that the manner in which they've decided to do that is legally very complicated, but that's their own fault!).

And finally, I don't know what the statistics are, but I suspect that many deaf people don't have an opportunity to get a good education, and additionally have a harder time finding a good job - yet purchasing items for the deaf population can be very expensive. I'm about to replace my alarm (with yet another crap vibrating alarm that probably doesn't even do 24-hour time, and is so complicated that when I wake up, I dont' even know which button to press, and end up resetting the darn thing!) - this alarm is more than $150. Back in the day when I had a TTY, it easily cost more than $600 (These days, I use MSN).
 
Bushdog said:
I am profoundly hoh, and I do consider it a disability. I am limited with many things in my life, that would not be limitations if i had my hearing. I do not allow it to stop me, and I try to do things that i normally shouldn't be able to do with my hearing loss. I play several instrument, to the point I was in a band, and making money. I missing the bones in one of my ears, the bones are responsible for balance, but I am an avid bicyclist, riding many long distance rides. The type of work I do requires good hearing ability, and I do ok with it. I have a disibility, but I am not going to let it cripple me.
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well, If you are with other deaf people who know ASL, would you still feel disabled around them?
 
Next time, folks, in filling out your SSI form, make sure you write down the words "I am not disabled. I do not have a disability. I am simply deaf." And wait for your SSI check to come in a month later.
 
I know this is an old discussion but I'll just share my take on it.

Yes, it's a "physical disability" in that a sense or part of the body does not function the way its suppose to. It is a disability in that it presents some challenges in accomplishing some tasks. There are always way around these challenges but to do some of them we have to work harder at them (Exp. Making a phone call. We can't just pick up the phone, dial the number and start having a conversation. We can still make phone calls but we need help from others or a device to do so).

However, it is not a mental disability. Unfortunately the uneducated sometimes think it is.

The view that being deaf is not a disability basically all boils down to the fact that it won't stop you from doing anything unless you give up and let it stop you. The ones that feel they are disabled are the ones who can't or have not yet comes to terms with their deafness.

I spent years avoiding any help from the government because of my deafness. I didn't want to take advantage of it. People would tell me I should take advantage of the things I could get because I was deaf. For example they told me I should take advantage of health insurance, free school/training, financial aid for education, disability checks, free fishing or hunting license, etc... I avoided all of these things for years. But one day something happened that changed of views of all this. I moved to a house and right next door was a VFW. I'd go in there from time to time and one day we where in a discussion about my deafness and things related to it. I don't remember how the discussion started but is was during this discussion all these vets I was talking to made a great point.

Some of them said they joined the military to start their career. To get money for college and many other reasons. They didn't like the fact that they ended up having to go to war but the point was they had this option. I didn't, I was not allowed to join the service. They talked about how I and they pay taxes. They said they'd rather someone like me to really has a "Disability" gets some of that then all the ones out there who are collecting that really don't have any reason to (In other words they fake it to get benefits). And here I was almost 30 years old and never touched any of that. They basically said it was almost an insult for me not to. Their points sunk in. I went out and got SSI, insurance, took some job training classes and a lifetime fishing license.

Ron Jaxon
 
I'd like to say how much I LOVE this thread. It is so encouraging to read and I want to save some of the responses and print them as a reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to do! Thank you everyone! :)
 
Deaf is not disabled to me.

Deaf only becomes disabled in Hearing view and Hearing way. It is their attitude towards the Deaf make them disabled when there no need for it. Just some changes makes everybody life easier. Some Hearing people are fine, but most I met are not. Pity.
 
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