why do hearing people think they better than us?

HH scientist said:
Sometimes it is interesting to know how different languages compare. There might be cultural traits to how deaf and HOH people are treated. My native language Swedish translates "hearing-impaired" as "hearing-damaged". I do not know whether that sounds offensive or not. We often lack synonyms which is common in English, so this word cannot be compared to similar words in its own language.
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Interesting. Is there an equivalent phrase for "hard of hearing" in Swedish also?
If the Swedish language has more than one phrase or word for people with hearing loss which ones are more commonly used?

Just curious. I think you raised a very interesting point and now I'm curious as to what terms other languages use to label d/D/hh people. If anyone knows, it would be great if they would post it. It would be interesting to see if there's any correlation between how D/d/HH people are labeled and how they are treated in various societies. I would suspect there probably is.
 
shel90 said:
I believe that very strongly.
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I agree!

I meant to say that "hearing people don't see that deafness DOESN'T hinder us, it's hearing people that hinder us" in case there was confusion.

Darn fingers!

Being deaf hasn't stopped me from driving, being a mother, being a student, being a worker or being a HUMAN.

I dare any hearie that tries to tell me that I don't function on the same level as everyone else.

Oh, BTW, my pastor used A.G. Bell in his sermon and gloated over how the telegram was the frontier of communication until A.G. Bell invented the telephone. I think probably muttered 'AUDIST' and the lady sitting next to me kind of cut her eyes at me like "what?".

I may have to give my pastor an edumucation... :lol:
 
HH scientist said:
Sometimes it is interesting to know how different languages compare. There might be cultural traits to how deaf and HOH people are treated. My native language Swedish translates "hearing-impaired" as "hearing-damaged". I do not know whether that sounds offensive or not. We often lack synonyms which is common in English, so this word cannot be compared to similar words in its own language.
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Swedish isn't exactly a word-for-word translation. You have different wordings for the same concepts.

I picked up Swedish after having a Swedish foreign exchange student living with our family back in the late 1990s. His father owns the Westlings company.
 
mbrek said:
Yes. Use the ones they prefer. My main point (from an "oldster" - 45) is that the acceptable tag will change. When I was a child, it wasn't "African American", it was a negro or black person. That alone was an upgrade from the previous generation. It's different now.

Decades ago, my son would have been a "dummy", or something similar. Retarded (meaning slow) was an upgrade from that. Then retarded became a "bad" word, so now we have new ones. Stick around, the ones you are using now will most likely change again.

But the best part for me, my son doesn't give a hoot. His intellect is low enough so that his feelings are unable to be hurt. But he does know he's loved - and that's the most important by far.
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Yeah I notice the "upgrades". I wonder what the next upgrade for "mentally challenged" would be.

This girl I knew back in high school, was in the special program. She knew when she was being insulted and she would be mean to whoever insulted her. I don't ever insulted her or anything like that so she would do anything for me when I requested for her favor nicely.
 
I am/was a hearing person.. Not all of us think "we are better" than deaf people. Many just don't understand. I have always been very intrested in the deaf culture. I currently found out I am becoming a hard of hearing person. Which, if i did become deaf I'm sure I'd be okay because I am currently learning ASL. But the point is, Not all hearing people think they are better than deaf people. In fact, many of us have respect for the deaf community.
 
Oddly, I have never realised that 'hearing impaired' is considered as offensive. I was always told I'm 'hearing impaired' and that term gets used on the telly so I just... *shrug* I've been more concerned not to call myself 'deaf' in case that offends people who are entirely deaf. I'm really confused as to what I should say I am to be honest! I'm just someone who happens to not hear great.

However, I have been offended to be called a 'deafie' as this was how I was bullied at school, but I see that a lot of people hear describe themselves as 'deafies' proudly, so I guess some of it is subjective? (I did smile at the use of the word 'hearie' I so wish I had thought of that reply at the time in school!) My experiences of 'deafie' were bad so the term is offensive to me. I also find being described as 'handicapped' as offensive too. But I try to pay attention to the intention behind a person's terminology. Sometimes it's obvious they have an offensive tone. Sometimes they're just using the only word they know.

Why do hearing people think they are better? For me, it's because anyone different is a threat. They are frightened by difference. Because if somebody with hearing loss or deafness (or any difference) can live a full and satisfying life... then they can too. And what might they have to do in order to get a full and satisfying life? Look at themselves and their lives instead. People who spread misery do this because they are miserable in themselves.

But not all hearing people are like this.
 
Uglies

I read this book called UGLIES. And it was about a world where they separated towns by UGLY people and PRETTY people. Their separating us into the UGLIES and them the PRETTIES. But us we want to all be EQUAL and not be UGLY nor PRETTY. As in the book PRETTIES are better than UGLIES. So they think their better than us. Their not! They just don't have a health problem, as in DEAF or BLINDNESS or even AUTISM. I BET THEY WOULDN'T BE LAUGHING AT US IF THEY WERE DEAF OR ANY OTHER HEALTH PROBLEM! THEY'RE LAUGHING AT CANCER MAN! CANCER! :mad2::mad2:
 
P.S My throat hurts sooooo bad...!! I think I have sore throat. IT HURTSS!! :cry:
 
Ester said:
P.S My throat hurts sooooo bad...!! I think I have sore throat. IT HURTSS!! :cry:
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Drink and gargle with warm water with sea salt (do not use regular salt).

Later, maybe one spoon of a raw local honey or with the tea.
 
I am a hearing person. I am also a people person. I like people! I like my deaf friend more than a lot of my hearing ones because he actually shows emotion. Hearing people aren't "better." Anyone who thinks that seriously needs a head mashing.
 
Difference doesn't necessarily mean superior or inferior. Not everyone thinks like that.
 
I can say that we do not all think we are better only the ignorant ones, but ignorant people exsist on either side.
 
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