Please be advised that the term, “hearing impaired” is unacceptable. Here is the explanation:
The term "Hearing Impaired" is a technically accurate term much preferred by hearing people, largely because they view it as politically correct. In the mainstream society, to boldly state one's disability (e.g., deaf, blind, etc.) is somewhat rude and impolite. To their way of thinking, it is far better to soften the harsh reality by using the word "impaired" along with "visual", "hearing", and so on. “Hearing-impaired” is a well-meaning word that is much-resented by deaf and hard of hearing people. This term was popular in the 70s and 80s, however, now is used mostly by doctors, audiologists and other people who are mainly interested in our ears "not working."
While it's true that their hearing is not perfect, that doesn't make them impaired as people. Most would prefer to be called Deaf, Hard of Hearing or deaf when the need arises to refer to their hearing status, but not as a primary way to identify them as people (where their hearing status is not significant).
We are deaf, and not people with impairments (obstacles) in life!
Hope that you and your people respect by refusing to use the outdated and offensive term. Hearing loss is more acceptable for everyone who is not just deaf.
Thank you, Robert Mason for this post from a Deaf perspective. Much of what you wrote here I just lectured about to new semester students of ASL... especially the "Famous Deaf Americans" focus. (I make them do a week of Deaf awareness by researching a list of 25 (out of hundreds out there) Deaf people who have made outstanding contributions in business, education, sports, art, etc. as part of their grade. As I mentioned just a few (including Vincent Cerf's "hand shake protocol for one computer "talking" to another...thus making our present day Internet possible, their faces looked amazed and incredulous. This is why I love teaching.
I hope many people take to head and heart everything you wrote. Thank you!
Brenda Daweof MI7:22AM January 18, 2012
As interpreter for the Deaf and a teacher of American Sign Language I start from day ONE stressing the importance INCLUSION of facial and body expression with not only the vocabulary but also the sentences.
Research shows that there are 5 parimeters involved: Hand shape, Palm orientation, Location, Movement and EXPRESSION. If you change even on of these "HOLME"s you, have signed a different word or sentence. The E (expression) is said to be 70% of the meaning.
I feel mastering their face and body expressions is much more difficult than any other feature of ASL linguistics. Yet I continually point out to them as hearing people, those same expressions and body language are visible with each of them from my point of view watching them daily.
"THAT'S the angry face you couldn't make! Now freeze it and add "MAD", ANGRY, "CRAZY...". We call this all NMS or "Non manual Signals".
Brenda Daweof MI6:28AM January 18, 2012
Obvious, I see it everyday as an interpreter. BUT please use the word DEAF it's okay! "Hearing -Impaired" make so many cringe. (And a person deafened by old age will not have the same skills in my opinion. It's life long.)
Rainy64of MD9:31PM January 17, 2012
I've been involved with the signing Deaf community for over 25 years, and I've definitely noticed how my perception has evolved. While hearing, I see motions differently. Motions communicate. I see someone make (for them) a random gesture and it means something totally different for me.
I don't really like people who 'talk with their hands' because my brain is constantly parsing the meaning, and at times it doesn't make any sense in terms of their words and their intent.
So yeah, expressions, gestures…they mean so much more to someone who uses a visual language...
Vic Barnhartof MO12:07PM January 17, 2012
Duh. Lol. We deaf people use our eyes, not our ears and we MUST read body language.
Vof AR8:54AM January 15, 2012
I disagree, there has been people studying body language for many years. Also what the different gestures mean
mike of NE5:24AM January 15, 2012
This also suggests that Deaf would be attuned to interpreting body language that reflects audism.
Richardof WI3:57PM January 14, 2012
We should not have the subagency like the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
The wording of "deafness" is very pathogoical and paternalistic term. That makes the existence of deaf people to be looking like some kind of diseases. We, Deaf people are physically and mentally normal.
"Communication disorders"??? *rolling eyes in disbelief* We have our own language structure and norms for our own sign language usage in different countries. We ever have our own regional sign language characterisitics by various region and state.
Did you know that the U.S. NIDOCD subagency actively study the deaf genes to get rid of our vibrant and healthy cultural and lingustic group, Deaf people? If not for the existence of deaf people, we would not have the motion picture camera (Thomas Edison) , space travel (Deaf Russian theorist), the Internet (Vincent Cerf) and other many deaf individuals make the contribution to the humanity.
We, Deaf people could communicate thru glass or within distance without struggling to hear what others said. Many scuba divers use hands language down the water for effective communication.
How come didn't you mention other websites on ASL, instead of the U.S. NIDOCD?
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Louis Schwarz of FL 7:50AM January 08, 2013
Brenda Dawe of MI 7:22AM January 18, 2012
Brenda Dawe of MI 6:28AM January 18, 2012
Rainy64 of MD 9:31PM January 17, 2012
Vic Barnhart of MO 12:07PM January 17, 2012
V of AR 8:54AM January 15, 2012
mike of NE 5:24AM January 15, 2012
Richard of WI 3:57PM January 14, 2012
Robert Mason of DC 2:50PM January 14, 2012