WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEAF AND A HARD OF HEARING PERSON?
The deaf and hard of hearing community is very diverse; differing greatly on the cause and degree of hearing loss, age at onset, educational background, communication methods, and how individuals feel about their hearing loss. How a person “labels” themself in terms of their hearing loss is personal and may reflect identification with the deaf community or merely how their hearing loss affects their ability to communicate. They can either be deaf, Deaf, or hard of hearing. DEFINITION OF “DEAF” When we define “deaf”, the parameters of the definition should be determined. The audiological definition can be used, that is, one that focuses on the cause and severity of the hearing loss and whether or not hearing can be used for communication purposes. Generally, the term “deaf” refers to those who are unable to hear well enough to rely on their hearing and use it as a means of processing information. Alternately, a cultural definition of deafness may be applied. Individuals who identify the
