Where did "Hearing Impaired" come from?

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"?[/QUOTE]

Never thought of it that way. Interesting...
Click to expand...
 
i grew up in schools and have known the words , hearing impaired, those words are common. those are not bothering me.
 
shel90 said:
A few times, I have told them that they were deaf-impaired...lol
Click to expand...

haha

seriously though, I think the only reason they use hearing impaired because they probably felt it was more politically correct. I mean, the word "deaf" is an insult to them but not to us. I don't care if someone call me deaf. I will wear it like a badge.
 
I agree with you Lighthouse77

The thing is to a hearing person the term "Deaf" seems more offending then "Hearing impaired".

Hearing impaired is a "description of condition". Those two words jammed together really does describe the condition. Their ability to hear does not work like it's suppose to in order to use that sense.

The word "deaf" on the other hand, in mainstream culture, is not a compliment. Not to people who have no affiliation with deaf people or culture anyway. "What are you deaf or something?" is not a question someone asks in a polite way. Many hearing people are afraid to say the word "Deaf" in front of deaf people in fear or offending them. So they remember the words they've heard on the news or read somewhere on the topic and the most common term they know associated with it, beside "deaf" is "Hearing impaired". To them this is a kinder term to use because it doesn't suggest "Can't". I suggests "Doesn't work as well as most". "Deaf" on the other hand suggest "Doesn't work at all" and to them that seems cruel to say.

I always felt that the term "Hard of hearing" seem a more harsh term then hearing impaired on many levels. First of all the words itself are harsher sounding and to say. Say the words out loud right now "Hard of hearing" then say "Hearing impaired". The later has a nicer flow to it. The word "Hard" me makes me think of other cut downs such as "Hard headed".

But in case anyone asks. Just call me Ron Jaxon. If you ask about my hearing I'll tell you that I'm deaf and can hear a little now with my CI. I've had "hearing loss" my entire life but it didn't decrease to "deafness" until my late teens.

"hearing loss" = my ability to hear decreased
"Deaf" = I cannot hear well enough to communicate by sound alone.

Ron Jaxon
 
Lighthouse77 said:
haha

seriously though, I think the only reason they use hearing impaired because they probably felt it was more politically correct. I mean, the word "deaf" is an insult to them but not to us. I don't care if someone call me deaf. I will wear it like a badge.
Click to expand...

:gpost:

You hit the nail on the head with this one.
 
It's a politically correct way of saying a person is deaf.

retarded = mentally challenged
deaf = hearing impaired
crippled = physically challenged

I once read a chapter from a book that was politically correct fairy tales. The one I read was about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. One thing they said was that the little men were vertically challenged. ;)
 
VamPyroX said:
I once read a chapter from a book that was politically correct fairy tales. The one I read was about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. One thing they said was that the little men were vertically challenged. ;)
Click to expand...

Haha...:lol:
 
To classmates I typically say that I HAVE a Hearing Impairment and that I AM HOH/deafend. Not sure if it's PC or not, but I feel that it accurately reflects me.

*EQL*
 
Hmmm, I consider myself deaf but I don't always refer to myself as deaf because I still hear a tiny bit with my hearing aid and people seem to thinkI am just blowing them off. I often say hearing impaired rather than Hard of hearing because that alwys sounded strange to me. Never thought that some might find hearing impaired offensive.
 
The audiology department at the hospital I attend used to be called 'The Centre for the Hearing Impaired', that was about 20 years ago. Now it's called 'The Hearing Services Centre'. I guess they've now become politically correct!
 
When I was younger I wondered why they didn't just stop at CC anyway? I don't remember hearing them say deaf before.
 
Back
Top