Which word you prefer to use?

What label do you want to use to identify yourself?

  • Deaf

    Votes: 50 71.4%

  • Hearing Impaired

    Votes: 10 14.3%

  • HOH (Hard of Hearing)

    Votes: 10 14.3%
  • Total voters
    70
  • Poll closed .
deafdyke said:
Not the abbreviation, but they know the term. Besdies how would you pronounce it as a word anyway?
Click to expand...

I abbreviate in text of AllDeaf because it's understood here. Otherwise, I'd say "hard-of-hearing" out loud and/or use the 2 H's to sign it.

I remember using the term, "partially deaf" before. I think it was because many hearies would believe if I said hard-of-hearing, they'd start talking to me like I was their senile grandfather. :roll:

Steve
A Hearing Imp
 
This is a bit off topic, but since you're talking about labels, ever come across hearing people referred to as "deaf-impaired" or "signing-impaired" before? Usually meaning hearing people who aren't in the community at all or know nothing about Deaf culture. Don't know if people find that offensive; personally I think it's funny.
 
not sure

i just recently started loosing my hearing, so i don't really know how i should identify myself. (i am constantly mistaken by hearing for being hearing, deaf for being deaf, and hoh for being either hearing or deaf, but never do they think i'm hoh. on some instances Deaf people have skipped asking, and gone right on to asking about what deaf school i went to.)

i usually just go with whatever i am told i am. it doesn't really matter that much to me, but thinking about it causes me distress, because i don't really feel i fit in anywhere.

one thing that i will not tolerate though is when hearing people call me "deaf and dumb". i speak clearly, and usually my grammar and vocabulary is more accurate and larger than theirs. (proved by the fact that i often find them asking for me to correct their english papers, or answer the question "what's the word for this and that when...")
 
Hi, Hanabithief, interesting nickname...
Anyway, just from what I've seen here, I'd say your'e late-deafened.
 
I really don´t care either they label me as deafness or what BUT..... I dont like them label me as deaf and dumb or mute. I correct them sometimes that it´s deaf, not deaf and dumb. I show them my positive that I do not consider deafness as handicapped.



P.S. I´m proud to be deaf. I won´t let anyone negative over deafness.
 
I correct them sometimes that it´s deaf, not deaf and dumb. I show them my positive that I do not consider deafness as handicapped.
Click to expand...
Maybe there should be new terms for deafies. Like a word for someone who only Signs, a word for someone who's bilingal, etc etc....the binaries of oral deaf and Deaf really aren't good....just b/c you may have oral skills, that doesn't make you oral deaf!
 
deafdyke said:
Maybe there should be new terms for deafies. Like a word for someone who only Signs, a word for someone who's bilingal, etc etc....the binaries of oral deaf and Deaf really aren't good....just b/c you may have oral skills, that doesn't make you oral deaf!
Click to expand...

Well, it´s bad habit for Germans to say "Deaf and dumb" since Hilter time. I´m sure you know the history what Hilter/Nazi did to handciapped people. No matter either you use oral or not.... Still the same. My husband is oral but they still call him "Deaf and dumb". All what we (deaf people) correct them that we are DEAF, not dumb. We explained them that DUMB mean is can´t speak and convince them that we do have broke voice but it doesnt mean that we CAN´T speak.
 
deafdyke said:
Oh, and I don't mind someone saying that I have a hearing impairment. I just don't like being called hearing impaired. I dunno...I think that hearing impaired sounds wicked clinical. Sort of like the way when I once called my audi. Another person picked up and said that he couldn't come to the phone right now b/c he was seeing a patient. A PATIENT?!?!!? I'm not sick or unhealthy just b/c I am hoh! Make any sense?
Click to expand...

Makes a lot of sense. I think the appropriate term to describe what you are referring to would be "client". It sounds so much more acceptable. The audi. is performing a service to you that really has nothing to do with being sick or injured, so in my mind, the term "patient" is inappropriate.

As for the term "impairment", I just say I'm disabled. It's simple, and it pretty much spells out the situation. But, I understand what you mean about how people make things sound clinical. Shoot! It would be nice if people would just use words that cut to the chase, and didn't try to denigrade us.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
Makes a lot of sense. I think the appropriate term to describe what you are referring to would be "client". It sounds so much more acceptable. The audi. is performing a service to you that really has nothing to do with being sick or injured, so in my mind, the term "patient" is inappropriate.
Click to expand...

Correct!

They do call my chlidren or me as patient when we visit to doctor, therapy, audi, hospitail, etc.

They do call us as "client" when I visit to lawyer, notary, bank, etc.
 
I prefer to called Deaf
I grew up in Mainstreaming and mostly of them called us "hearing imparied"
I dislike that name and feel annoyed by that.
I tranferred to Deaf school and everyone prefer to called Deaf or HoH as Proud of it. So far i chose to be Deaf person.

Mommyof3
 
I am Deaf....

Culturally, I am Deaf but I am ME!


I was raised in an oral education and I hated being called Deaf, deaf, and Hearing Imparied, etc. I just like to tell them that I am (my name). Period. I have a name and it describes me who I am. And the deafness is part of my name too. You know?
 
deaf.

I don't need some kind of ambigious term like hearing-impaired, or people trying not to say the "word". I'm deaf. I can't hear a damned thing. Boo hoo. That's just me. Get over it , people.
 
Honestly this world has gotten to Political Correct. I dont see the point of calling yourself "deaf", "Deaf", "Deaf-Mute", "Hard of Hearing" and/ or "Hearing Impaired". We cant hear...we funtion like normal human beings. It doesnt matter. Yes, there are diffferent degrees of not being able to hear. Yes, some of us dont speak orally and we do have our own seperate language. There are a different disabilities...who cares. We are all equal in the end.

I dont seeing calling yourself any of the listed above being "negative"....honestly if you do then you are not secure of WHAT you are and WHO you are. Just get over it. People like to label things...let them. We know the truth and we know better.

I am Hearing Impaired. I wear hearing aid, I speak rather well, can talk on the phone without using the T setting on my hearing aids and can mingle with the hearing people. I am well adapted. I also have friends who are deaf and can mingle with the deaf. I do not see myself as disabled/handicapped..I consider myself as a normal functioning human with a extra burden in life. I am a biology/premed major and I am not letting people say that my disabilty won't let me become a doctor. I have achived a lot of things that some of the deaf/HOH people haven't done and people said I couldn't do...I learned how to play a clarinet, I was in a marching band, I took 6 years of German in high school...now I am in college and soon I will go to med school to become a Pathologist (the study of disease).

I've also gone through a lot of bullsh*t...hearing people dont understand that people with disabilities can do anything...think about it...why do you think the education in deaf schools is so low compaired to mainstream schools...they are preventing you from acheiving your goals or allowing you to dream that you can do better.

I am who I am and I accept it!!! If people got a problem with it, then tough get over it.

This is my personal opinion!!!
 
Very well said ladycaissa,
I too have done may things that were supposed to be impossible for me to do. I am unilateral on hearing. 100% in the left since birth, right side going quick. I have never considered myself unable to do anything I wanted to do.
I played in the high school band, trumpet, it was supposed to be impossible for me to do that, I was tone deaf, no stereo for me. But I worked hard at it,
I learned to really concentrate on hearing the tones with that right ear. I wasn't the best player there was, but I wasn't the worst either. I truly think that helped in my latter life too, as it taught me how to distuingish many things in other sounds and situations. I still do not now if I talk in a monotone or not, people say I don't, but there I really can't tell. I lost some jobs through my life, but I kept going, I went to college, I finally became a tool and die maker and ended up working on aircraft, which caused aircraft to become a passion of mine.
I really don't care for any of the political correctness stuff, personally I think most of it is ridiculous.
I don't hear, that is how I look at it, but no different that anybody else.
We are all human. Call me whatever you want, just make sure you call me when dinner is ready :)
 
preachers_son said:
Very well said ladycaissa,
I too have done may things that were supposed to be impossible for me to do. I am unilateral on hearing. 100% in the left since birth, right side going quick. I have never considered myself unable to do anything I wanted to do.
I played in the high school band, trumpet, it was supposed to be impossible for me to do that, I was tone deaf, no stereo for me. But I worked hard at it,
I learned to really concentrate on hearing the tones with that right ear. I wasn't the best player there was, but I wasn't the worst either. I truly think that helped in my latter life too, as it taught me how to distuingish many things in other sounds and situations. I still do not now if I talk in a monotone or not, people say I don't, but there I really can't tell. I lost some jobs through my life, but I kept going, I went to college, I finally became a tool and die maker and ended up working on aircraft, which caused aircraft to become a passion of mine.
I really don't care for any of the political correctness stuff, personally I think most of it is ridiculous.
I don't hear, that is how I look at it, but no different that anybody else.
We are all human. Call me whatever you want, just make sure you call me when dinner is ready :)
Click to expand...

Good for you!!!

I also was born deaf...bilateral. I also had to take years of speech classes while growing up so I dont talk in a monotone or nasally. (deaf people tend to talk through their nose ...that's how come they sound "deaf")
 
I am a very proud DEAF individual. BUT please do not stop at my "DEAF TITLE." I hope others see me as a whole person for who I am on the inside. Not what my ears can or can't do. I get tired of people getting hung up on our "DEAF" title. Geez, I just want to be who I am without being judge for the big TITLE of it all.
 
I also had to take years of speech classes while growing up so I dont talk in a monotone or nasally.
Click to expand...
Me too...and I HATED speech therapy...so beyond boring!!!!!! I still have a VERY "deaf" sounding voice, even thou I'm only hoh....
 
At first, I considered myself as HOH then I realize that my hearing is 90's DB which I'm very deaf on both ears so now I consider myself deaf.
 
Back
Top