Deaf? Hard of Hearing? What term do I use?

I’m sure everyone has a moment where they weren’t quite sure what term to use when referring to someone with a hearing loss. Different people like to hear and use different terms and can be offended when someone says the “wrong” one. It’s hard to know exactly what to say. For example, a few months ago, I said something along the lines of, “disabled person” and I was immediately corrected and learned that instead, I should say, “person with a disability.” This is because the first phrase comes across as the disability defining the person whereas the second implies that they are a person, like everyone else, that happens to have a disability. Obviously, I did not purposely mean to imply the first meaning. In fact, several of my previous posts have talked about how my hearing loss does not define me. So, I am glad that I now have a greater understanding of how phrases can be interpreted differently by different people.

In regards to hearing loss, some of the commonly used phrases are hearing impaired, person with a hearing loss, hard of hearing, deaf, and probably several others. I have used all of these terms in different posts on this very blog.

So, which term is best?

It depends.

I know, not much of an answer, different people prefer different terms. Here is an article that illustrates the confusion of this matter.

Personally, I don’t have a preference. “Hearing impaired person” verse “person with a hearing loss” means the same to me. In general, “person with a hearing loss” and “hard of hearing” seems to be the most widely accepted terms, while “hearing impairment” seems to be the least accepted (and most hated) term.

The best way to know for sure is listen to how the person describes themselves. If your new co-worker, classmate, student, friend, etc. says, “I have a hearing loss,” then use hearing loss to refer to it. If they say, “I am hard of hearing,” or “hearing impaired,” then use those terms. They are the ones dealing with it so it’s safe to say the terms they use are the ones they are comfortable hearing.

Don’t be afraid to ask. If someone is telling you they have a hearing loss, they are most likely comfortable enough to answer questions about it.

#hearingloss #hearingimpaired #deafness