by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. with Dave Myers, Ph.D. and Marjie Anderson
Dave Myers wrote,
The inspiring news stories about Seattle Seahawks’ ‘deaf’ player, Derrick Coleman, raises an interesting question. Do those of us who can hear and participate in conversation, albeit only with hearing aids (HAs) or cochlear implants (CIs), similarly regard ourselves as ‘deaf’?
With hearing aids, Derrick Coleman can hear play calls in the noisy Seattle stadium and can answer questions at a news conference. Are we deaf? Is he?
My identity is ‘a person with significant hearing loss’ (aka hard of hearing). My mother transitioned from hard of hearing to what I called deaf when she gave up her hearing aids and could no longer hear anything (we communicated by writing notes).
If people like Derrick Coleman and the rest of us are deaf, then what defines the boundary line between deaf and non-deaf?
I am curious: how do you view yourself? As deaf, even if able to converse with HAs or CIs? What is your definition of deafness?
Audiological deafness means you can’t hear without amplification. It is written with a small “d” (deaf).
Cultural deafness means you belong to the Deaf culture. It is written with a capital “D” (Deaf). Culturally Deaf people use a manually signed language such as American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate.
If you are deaf, you may choose to use your voice to talk and use amplification in order to hear (as much as possible). Most people would call you “hard of hearing”. However, if you choose not to speak, but use ASL to communicate and identify yourself with the Deaf community, then you’d be both deaf and Deaf.
I am hard of hearing when I use amplification (hearing aids or assistive listening devices). However, when I take them off, I am audiologically deaf (functionally deaf). So when I am wearing my hearing aids, I might say I’m hard of hearing. Without my hearing aids, I often say I’m deaf (or functionally deaf).
The politically correct term is to say you are “a person with hearing loss”, putting the “person” ahead of the hearing loss, since hearing loss does not (or should not) define us. We are people first and foremost, who just happen to have a problem hearing.
The politically incorrect term is to call us “hearing impaired”. Many hard of hearing and Deaf people find this term offensive. (To me a “hearing impaired” person is a hearing person that has had too much to drink!)
Late deafened people are people who have lost their hearing (typically) as adults (after they have acquired language) so they use their voices to talk. However, they “hear” by using hearing aids and other amplification devices, by signing or by a combination of both. Basically, whatever works best in a given situation.
Labels are often confusing as typically more than one label fits us, and each person defines the label a bit differently.
As Marjie Anderson explains,
It depends on who I am talking to really. Some people don’t understand hard of hearing or late deafened or oral deaf or deaf versus Deaf. Don’t even get me started on total communication, pidgin signed English (PSE), Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE) and American Sign Language (ASL).
I just tell some people I can’t hear very well, and then give them a list of things they can do to help us communicate. To others, I say I’m deaf. They seem to get that I can’t understand their speech (due to a variety of reasons). To people within the hearing loss community, I am hard of hearing. That clues them in that I didn’t grow up signing, and I went to mainstream schools.
According to the Social Security Disability rules I am deaf. Because I sign, some will say I am Deaf. Because I can’t understand speech in normal situations any more, but used to, some will say I am late-deafened. Because I can sometimes hear noises (loud enough and the right pitch) others will say I am hard of hearing.
So like the labels: grandmother, mother, daughter, sister and friend, I also can be hard of hearing, late-deafened, Deaf and deaf all at the same time, and they can all be true. They are just words, and different people define them differently.
Call me what you want. I call myself “Marjie”.
As Marjie said, the label isn’t what’s important. What is important is that we have effective communication. So call me what you want. Just don’t call me late for dinner!
This is something I’ve really struggled with as an adult with either auditory processing disorder or auditory dyslexia (we’re still working on getting a diagnosis; its quite an irritating process) but is very strong in the Deaf Culture. I am fluent in Sign Language and will use it over English unless I have no other choice. I wear hearing aids to try and help me understand the speech around me better but they only do so much. However, as someone who is HoH in my brain, not my ears, I’ve struggled with what to consider myself. Am I Deaf, HoH or hearing? I think of myself as Deaf (not deaf) and my deaf friends have told me that I’m even more Deaf than they are! But my family sees me as a hearing girl who has trouble with her ears. To me, my hearing has brought me nothing but frustration, culturally, socially and mentally.
Since I started having trouble, I’ve developed strong noise anxiety. Most days, I wish that the rest of my hearing would just go away so I wouldn’t have to be afraid and confused. I’ve struggled with what to call myself for years now and it only leads to confusion and resentment.
You are not alone… it would be so much easier if someone would just tell me- you’re deaf, or hoh…. or something. This in the middle thing is hard!!
Hey Abigail, I struggle too, I became completely deaf in one ear when i was 3 years old and what they termed me “hearing impaired” in my other ear and that ear is getting worse and worse and eventually I will completely loose what I do have left in that ear. Growing up I learned ASL in elementary school but nobody in school or at home signed to me except in that class for 1 hour. Day. As I grew up and moved around I was mainstreamed and was not given any more lessons or interpreters, so I lost alot of that language. Now I’m in college and taking ASL, my ASL teachers are d/Deaf and grew up d/Deaf they have told me that I would be considered the same as them since I have so little hearing left, but I struggle with hearing people’s perception of the deaf. I grew up with hearing people all around me so I have always used my voice and now I still do but hearing people dont understand. At this point I’m thinking I’m just going to turn my voice off because it will make it easier for me and for them to a point, my teachers have told me I will reach a point in which I need to do this just because of how hearing people think and perceive d/Deaf people. I think that I have reached this point! I just wanted to let you know you are not alone and unfortunately we will always have to face this struggle.
I have hearing loss in my ears. I don’t hear my kids when they talk. (they whisper) I’m 82 years if age – I don’t know if that has anything to with it or not? I wonder if my words have anything to with it. I can’t get out words. I use to be a teacher and its quite disturbing.
Hi Elizabeth:
If your hearing loss is so bad you just hear your kids talking as if they were whispering, then you need to go to an audiologist and have a complete audiological evaluation. Based on the results, you will most likely be told you need to wear hearing aids to help you hear better.
Why can’t you get the words out? Is it because you can’t hear your own voice much? If so, wearing hearing aids may also help you with this. Otherwise, as your audiologist for the name of a good speech-language pathologist in your area that can evaluate you for this problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your help