Is being deaf a disability or not?

Okay-

I do get a disability check each month, but I don't really feel that my hearing loss is a disability. If that was the only problem and I was able to communicate easily with people, then I would get a job outside the home. I got my disability based on my hearing loss.

The reason I stay on it is because I now have problems walking. I am unable to sit for long periods or stand for long periods. I am also beginning to have more and more vision problems. I also, admittedly, don't have a whole lot of skills. My family didn't have the money to put me through college and I never knew about student loans and such. I have worked from the time I was 16 until I was 45, in a variety of jobs. I did enjoy it. I have asked around since returning to Florida, and in 90% of the places I asked, I would not qualify based on my different issues. (hearing, standing or sitting) The majority of the time, I wasn't qualified. My disability helps, but it is less than half of what I made at my last job.

No, I don't feel like my hearing loss makes me disabled, but the rest of my problems sure make me disabled. :giggle:
 
The problem in communication with other people, that is; being UN_ABLE to communicate in which case, it is got nothing to do with LANGUAGE (aside sign and spoken language distinctions) its that such great difficulty with hearing people bringing youi intolerance,that is a form of social ills identified as symtop in the exact same way as being unable to walk right or looking right whic puts other people off, THAT is what disability is !!
god i cant believe some of you people...
 
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ASLGAL said:
This topic keeps coming back up.

I think people (hearing, deaf, etc) have a hard time with understanding.

One poster said " a fine line between disability and discrimination" , two different things if you are defining.

Many have confusion with "D/deaf Power" "Not disabled" "Don't treat me different" but at the same time the same people apply for and expect to get a disability check from the government.

I leave it up to the person, whether they state they have a disability or not.
I do agree that reasonable accommodation should be and is the law (ADA) and should be adhered to. Perhaps the name of the law leads to confusion - Americans with Disabilities Act.
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theres also fine line in between demanding terps /rights and demanding to be treated the 'same', all that while gives us a bad name, and curiously a good name for those self-serving hearing professionals just so bent on 'doing a great job' they are Arrogant and self righteous too!!

i wish d/Deaf people would see it but no, and finally Leave the distinction of these to professional academics, disability and discrimination are NOT simple and never was nor will be.
 
Grummer said:
theres also fine line in between demanding terps /rights and demanding to be treated the 'same'
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Demanding terps and rights is being treated the same. I don't understand why asking to have the same access to information as the hearing is seen as an unreasonable request, especially in situations where communication is crucial.
 
ASLGAL said:
I leave it up to the person, whether they state they have a disability or not.
I do agree that reasonable accommodation should be and is the law (ADA) and should be adhered to. Perhaps the name of the law leads to confusion - Americans with Disabilities Act.
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It's not the name so much as the fact it just doesn't work. You can't legislate attitudes. Even though the laws are in place, employers find other intangible reasons not to hire a deaf (or other disabled) worker. What needs to be worked on is getting in employers' heads that the deaf and other disabled people can work on a basis of equality. Most people these days are all talk. They say they know the disabled are just as capable, and they would never in a million years discriminate against a disabled person, but deep down inside most of them still have reservations about what we can do, and in the way the ADA makes us all into walking potential lawsuits.

And that's just of the people who care somewhat. Most people don't care and don't even bother to hide it. Just look at how many companies will meet the bare minimum for ADA requirements, but without actually being practical. There's tons of establishments that have all the spacing and braille and ramp requirements in place but it's still not workable when a wheelchair user comes through or it's in a place a blind person would never find the sign.
 
CJB said:
Demanding terps and rights is being treated the same. I don't understand why asking to have the same access to information as the hearing is seen as an unreasonable request, especially in situations where communication is crucial.
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no it isn't. Rights to have terps is looked at as fine, but other more, complex rights, er social right is ignored.
You can continue to assume all the same, be my guest, i just see it differently and I have many good reasons but will not divulge in here as frankly i think people have got narrow minded about these complex abstract social matters. I think I said quite enough. I refuse to expand on this for many good reasons.
 
dhespeelfem said:
Hello,

My name is Fem. I am a student of the university of Ghent (Belgium). For my studies in 'Disability Studies', i am making an essay on Deafculture (I have to hand it over on the 18th of August 2005). For me this is a whole new area. I am hearing, but i have a Deaf classmate who has awakend my interest for this subject.

The title of my work is : "i am Deaf - a literaturesurvey about the silent crie for fully citizenship" (Excuse me for my bad English translation...)
With this title I want to show that this is not about the medical and biological sense of being deaf. It is about being deaf in a hearing society, about deafculture and deafconsciousness, about being Deaf ... It is about discrimination and inclusion, about respect and human rights ...

I would like to end this essay with a discussion about ‘Deaf an disability’.
For this, I’ll see what the literature says about this. But I would also want to see what d/Deaf people think about this.

So, my question to you is: Is being deaf a disability or not? What do you think about this? How do you experience your deafness?

A clue: Think about the following sentences. These are examples for the situation in Belgium. I don’t know about the situation in your country. Maybe you can think of some other situations or examples. These are always welcome ...

“Deaf often say that they are not disabled, but still they accept the card for free use of the bus.”

“Deaf often say that they don’t have a disability, but they don’t mind for having a INTEGRATIETEGEMOETKOMING.”

So, I find an answer on the question “Is being deaf a disability or not?”. The examples above can be used as a support to give me your opinion.

If you want to write me about this subject and about your experiences, could you please give me the answer on some short questions? These questions can help me to see if for example grown ups have a different opinion about this than teenagers.

Male/female:
Age:
Continent/State/country/city:
Were you born deaf? If not, at what age did you become deaf?
Are your parents d/Deaf or hearing?
Do you go to a deafclub? Why/ why not?
How do you communicate: oral and/or sign language? What is the reason herefore?

I want to thank you very much for giving me your opinion on this! All the information will be used anonimously.

I need a lot of answers to get a good view on how d/Deaf people experience their deafness. So don’t hesitate ! You can help me very much!

Greetings from Belgium,
Fem D'Hespeel

You can reach me on my emailadres (for your answer, of for questions):

Email: dhespeelfem@gmail.com
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YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!! it is a disability. I am 100% deaf in one ear and about 80% in the other. I have what's called sudden hearing loss from diabetes. My hearing loss, 3 years ago, is how I found out I'm diabetic. One second I had hearing and the next I didn't. My life hasn't been the same since. I was a musician and fixing to become a manager for the company I work for. I'm 38 and I have to start my life all over again. So YES YES YES it's a disability. My life sucks!!!!!!! I hate when I tell people I have a hearing problem and the do nothing to compinsate for it. They just keep on talking. I use to be nice about it, but now I stop them and ask them why they choose to ignore what I just told them.
 
It could be a disability to those who became deaf later on in life but not to those who were born with it.
 
shel90 said:
It could be a disability to those who became deaf later on in life but not to those who were born with it.
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I totally agree with that. Most of born Deaf I met doesn't think Deaf is disability but late deaf does. It depends on how you view being deaf and how comfortable you are with being deaf. Some are and some are not.
 
Yes, I have to say it is the loss of things I feel are a disability. Things you relied on that don't work, simple things like a knock at the door.
 
To me...I don't consider myself disabled because I am Deaf.
The world however, disagrees!

My employer apparently believes I'm too disabled to do anything but clean.

:smirk:
 
Speedy Hawk said:
I totally agree with that. Most of born Deaf I met doesn't think Deaf is disability but late deaf does. It depends on how you view being deaf and how comfortable you are with being deaf. Some are and some are not.
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Just goes to show how much we take things for granted
 
Botts, I love your signature! :) (I know I saw that posted somewhere by someone.) The icon you added is hilarious.

Yes, sorry, I got off-topic! Back on now!
 
AlleyCat said:
Botts, I love your signature! :) (I know I saw that posted somewhere by someone.) The icon you added is hilarious.

Yes, sorry, I got off-topic! Back on now!
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Thank you. It was handed to me on a silver platter. :lol:
 
I don't like...

the term "disablility" because it implies that I am not a whole or complete person, that there is something wrong with me, something missing and that I should be pitied. God made me the way I am and I am complete and whole just as I am. :wave:
 
I think the difference is having a disability vs being a disabled person. I think the inability to hear will always be a disability, but that doesn't necessarily make that person disabled. I absolutely see being hearing impaired as a disability (for myself) because of the difficulties it causes, but I don't think of myself as disabled because of it. I hope that makes sense!
 
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