Where did "Hearing Impaired" come from?

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"Deaf" redirects here. For the album by Foetus, see Deaf (album).
See also: Deaf culture
Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing
Classification and external resources

The International Symbol for Deafness
ICD-10 H90.-H91.
ICD-9 389
DiseasesDB 19942
eMedicine /
MeSH [1]
A hearing impairment or deafness is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds.[1] Caused by a wide range of biological and environmental factors, loss of hearing can happen to any organism that perceives sound. "Hearing impaired" is often used to refer to those who are deaf, although the term is viewed negatively by members of Deaf culture, who prefer the terms "Deaf" and "Hard of Hearing".

What do people think about this? agree or disagree?
I have been called deaf and HOH , but I was told by a doctor I am not deaf as Deaf person can not hear anything. And I can hear with a HA.
I think being called hearing impairment made it sound like you're broken.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Deaf" redirects here. For the album by Foetus, see Deaf (album).
See also: Deaf culture
Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing
Classification and external resources

The International Symbol for Deafness
ICD-10 H90.-H91.
ICD-9 389
DiseasesDB 19942
eMedicine /
MeSH [1]
A hearing impairment or deafness is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds.[1] Caused by a wide range of biological and environmental factors, loss of hearing can happen to any organism that perceives sound. "Hearing impaired" is often used to refer to those who are deaf, although the term is viewed negatively by members of Deaf culture, who prefer the terms "Deaf" and "Hard of Hearing".

What do people think about this? agree or disagree?
I have been called deaf and HOH , but I was told by a doctor I am not deaf as Deaf person can not hear anything. And I can hear with a HA.
I think being called hearing impairment made it sound like you're broken.
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That was what I thought..it was derived from the medical model of deafness. I agree with the definition *deafness or partial deafness are considered hearing impairments* but I wouldnt use it to label myself.
 
Here is the definition from Princeton, which should be considered a fairly reputable source.

Adjective

* S: (adj) deaf (lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing wholly or in part)
* S: (adj) deaf, indifferent ((usually followed by `to') unwilling or refusing to pay heed) "deaf to her warn

WordNet Search - 3.0

So according to this "deaf" applies to any hearing loss whether complete or partial.
 
Aye.

I was just told that the reason why some people prefer to be called "hearing impaired" is because of the baby boomer generation losing their hearing. * shrugs * I don't know if she speaks truth or not though.

Either way, while some of my hearing friends say that I am more of "hard-of-hearing" to them; Deaf people say I am either Deaf or deaf, depending on their opinions. I still prefer to call myself D/deaf. Why? I get better treatment amongst friends. For some weird reason, if you say hard-of-hearing, they automatically assume a hearing aid will make up for the losses. For some losses, that would be true. However... for me, hearing aid only partially help me hear better, but I am still missing a lot. So calling myself deaf deters people from assuming that I have perfect hearing with the technology available.

Anyway, thanks for all the feedback folks. :) The mainstream usage of the term "hearing impairment" puzzled me.
 
souggy said:
Aye.

I was just told that the reason why some people prefer to be called "hearing impaired" is because of the baby boomer generation losing their hearing. * shrugs * I don't know if she speaks truth or not though.

Either way, while some of my hearing friends say that I am more of "hard-of-hearing" to them; Deaf people say I am either Deaf or deaf, depending on their opinions. I still prefer to call myself D/deaf. Why? I get better treatment amongst friends. For some weird reason, if you say hard-of-hearing, they automatically assume a hearing aid will make up for the losses. For some losses, that would be true. However... for me, hearing aid only partially help me hear better, but I am still missing a lot. So calling myself deaf deters people from assuming that I have perfect hearing with the technology available.

Anyway, thanks for all the feedback folks. :) The mainstream usage of the term "hearing impairment" puzzled me.
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that would be related to the Rubella - german measles epidemic which occurred in the 1960s through to early 1970's - to refer to how babies are not born perfect, they were deaf, and also there was 'real new hope' with hearing aids and advancing speech training at the time, so indeed it was an 'innocent' scientific attachment to the meanings
 
From the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. They placed definitions and descriptions in a brochure. Some of this information has nothing to do with the thread and a little bit to do with the definition of some words.




Hearing impaired is a stigmatizing, generic term describing reduced hearing acuity, which
pathologizes hearing loss. The term is much resented by many deaf and hard-of-hearing people,
because it implies a deficiency that is not culturally affirming.


Hard of hearing refers to a hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that may adversely
affect a child’s educational performance but which allows the child access to some degree of
communication with or without amplification. (Easterbooks, 1997; "Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)," 1990). Hard-of-hearing individuals generally have a mild to moderate
hearing loss, and they may feel reasonably comfortable in using their hearing for communication
in some settings.


Deaf with a capital D is used when referring to a particular group of people who share a common
language (American Sign Language in the United States), heritage, social affiliation, educational
background, experience of oppression, and culture. Persons who are deaf from an early age
share a bond created by their experiences as individuals who know and interact with the world
primarily through vision and as members of a group that is frequently misunderstood and
oppressed (Meadow, 1972).These common experiences have been identified as Deaf culture
(Padden & Humphries, 1988). An understanding of Deaf culture recognizes that members of the
Deaf community often emphasize the role or presence of vision in their lives rather than the lack
or absence of hearing. Hearing people may emphasize the sense that deaf people lack by
labeling them as handicapped, disabled, or impaired. By contrast, deaf people emphasize and
are proud of their capabilities and positive qualities as visual human beings (Meadow-Orlans &
Erting, 2000).


Deafness generally refers to the inability to hear speech without a hearing aid.

Hearing loss is a generic term describing reduced hearing acuity irrespective of severity.

Here are the references that these aforementioned definitions were derived from.

References
Balderian, N. J. (1991). Sexual abuse of people with developmental disabilities. Journal of Sexuality
and Disability, 9(4), 323-335.
Blatt, E. R., & Brown, S. W. (1986). Environmental influences on incidents of alleged child abuse and
neglect in New York state psychiatric facilities: Toward an etiology of institutional child
maltreatment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 10(2), 171-180.
Easterbooks, S. (1997). Educating children who are deaf or hard of hearing: Overview. ERIC Digest
#E549. Retrieved April 14, 2003, from
Ericfacility.net
Gallaudet Research Institute. (2003). Regional and national summary report of data from the 2001-
2002 Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth. Retrieved 7-31-2003,
2003, from http://gri.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/2002_National_Summary.pdf
Hindley, P., & Kroll, L. (1998). Theoretical and epidemiological aspects of attention deficit and
overactivity in deaf children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 3(1), 64-72.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), (1990).
Meadow, K. P. (1972). Sociolinguistics, sign language, and the deaf sub-culture. In T. J. O'Rourke
(Ed.), Psycholinguistics and Total Communication: The State of the Art. (pp. 19-33).
Washington, D.C.: American Annals of the Deaf.
Meadow-Orlans, K., & Erting, C. (2000). Deaf people in society. In N. Kitson (Ed.), Mental Health and
Deafness (pp. 3-24). London,: Whurr Publishers.
Padden, C., & Humphries, T. (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
Sobsey, D. (1996). Relative victimization risk rates: people with intellectual disabilities. Unpublished
Sobsey, D., & Doe, T. (1991). Patterns of sexual abuse and assault. Journal of Sexuality and
Sobsey, D., & Varnhagen, C. (1989). Sexual abuse and exploitation of disabled individuals. In C. R.
Bagley & R. J. Thomlinson (Eds.), Child Sexual Abuse: Critical Perspectives on Prevention,
Intervention and Treatment (pp. 203-216). Toronto: Wall & Emerson, Inc.
Sullivan, P., & Knutson, J. (2000). Maltreatment and disabilities: A population-based epidemiological
study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 24(10), 1257-1273.
Sullivan, P. M., Vernon, M., & Scanlan, J. M. (1987). Sexual abuse of deaf youth. American Annals of
the Deaf, 132(4), 256-262.
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I hope this helps. If not that's okay too!
 
deafskeptic said:
Ditto here. When I'm around hearing who don't know much about the Deaf community, I may refer to myself as hard of hearing as the word deaf seems to scare them. With everyone else, I say I'm deaf.
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Same here with the term "deafblind." "Deafblind" is a bit too close to Helen Keller for most folks, so I stick with "Blind and hard of hearing," even though I am legally deafblind.
 
Hearing loss is the correct medical term. Hearing impaired is almost always used by hearing people. Deaf/deaf/ HOH is used by those who are.
 
I used hearing impaired to those who had hearing all their life but lost it. Hearing loss is scary for hearing people because they have taken it for granted for so long. It mean they have to adjust their lifestyle and it isn't easy for them. In a way, it is kinda like losing your right arm which you have always used to write with, and now you have to come up with a new way to write.

I never felt my hearing is broken or loss because it is the life I've always known.
 
Lighthouse77 said:
I used hearing impaired to those who had hearing all their life but lost it. Hearing loss is scary for hearing people because they have taken it for granted for so long. It mean they have to adjust their lifestyle and it isn't easy for them. In a way, it is kinda like losing your right arm which you have always used to write with, and now you have to come up with a new way to write.

I never felt my hearing is broken or loss because it is the life I've always known.
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I would certainly agree that loosing your hearing is quite a different process of adjustment. But if someone lost their right arm, would you call them "reaching impaired" or "writing impaired"?
 
jillio said:
I would certainly agree that loosing your hearing is quite a different process of adjustment. But if someone lost their right arm, would you call them "reaching impaired" or "writing impaired"?
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:laugh2: Yes, if it popped into my head, but then certainly someone would reprove me for it!
 
jillio said:
I would certainly agree that loosing your hearing is quite a different process of adjustment. But if someone lost their right arm, would you call them "reaching impaired" or "writing impaired"?
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Clearly right-arm impaired. :laugh2:
 
jillio said:
I would certainly agree that loosing your hearing is quite a different process of adjustment. But if someone lost their right arm, would you call them "reaching impaired" or "writing impaired"?
Click to expand...

I don't know how I would refer it, but i would definitely feel impaired for awhile.

I guess It proved to show how offensive the word "impaired" is when people been using "hearing impaired" for years.
 
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