A Speech Pathologist has me confused...

Question

So, I’ve been studying ASL on and off for years, but have really been starting to delve into it in the past year or two. So far, I’ve had two Deaf teachers and they took the time to explain about Deaf Culture and how if someone is Deaf, you shouldn’t say “hearing impaired.” That is actually considered offensive and they would much rather you just say they are Deaf. Same for the Hard of Hearing people I know. I was somewhere the other day where I was able to study and someone noticed my book and asked about why I was studying ASL. We got into a discussion and she kept using “hearing impaired,” “hearing impaired,” “hearing impaired,” and I was like, “I don’t know if you have ever heard this before, but members of the Deaf community, at least the ones that I know, don’t like that term, they prefer that you just say Deaf.” She said that she was a Speech Pathologist and that my information is incorrect, that hearing impairment is a spectrum and you use that term because they all fall along that line. That being Deaf and Hard of Hearing are different, so they use that term to include everyone. And I just sort of reaffirmed what I’ve learned and what I’ve seen, that saying “the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community” is preferable. I bring this up because now I wonder if I am wrong? Did I misunderstand something? Do speech pathologists typically use the term “hearing impaired” and that’s okay?

Answer 1

Your understanding from your teachers is more correct than the Speech Pathologist's understanding of this. Deaf is a cultural name and it has less to do with how much hearing the person has and much more to do with how the person identifies him/herself with the Deaf Culture and Community. So many Deaf people who are actually hard of hearing still call themselves Deaf because it is a cultural label. They are affirming that they are members of the Deaf Community and Culture. Speech Pathologists are generally trained in viewing Deaf people from a medical/audiological/deficit perspective and so they think about being deaf from an audiological perspective; that is, how much hearing loss does the person have and to them "deaf" means a certain level on an audiogram and hard of hearing means a certain level of hearing loss that allows the person to function with hearing aids through speaking and speechreading. They try to use the term "hearing impaired" as a catch all for the spectrum of hearing loss from mild to profound but again this is viewing "being deaf" from a deficit model. The amount of hearing loss has little to do with it when you consider "being deaf" from a cultural/community perspective and as an identity. It is also true that when Deaf people want to refer to the spectrum of persons in their community they will use Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. But even that "name/label" is coming under scrutiny within the Deaf community and push back is occurring to just simply use the term Deaf Community, Deaf Culture. Persons who would argue against using Deaf and Hard of Hearing say that it is playing into the construct of "hearing loss" to maintain even that distinction. They are suggesting that the only relevant label should be Deaf and that term would encompass any member who identifies with the culture and have little bearing on their hearing loss.

Hope this helps clarify for you. Another "phrase" you may encounter would be using the "people/person first" terminology. In other words, a person who is deaf instead of saying Deaf person. Speech and Audiology type persons are generally trained in this "person first language'. But Deaf people prefer Deaf person, Deaf people because again it is a cultural label. The "person first" camp uses this terminology because they believe it to be less negative and emphasizing the person rather than "in their minds" the disability. But as you can probably see the opposite is actually happening. Because by saying person who is deaf they are using this term explicitly because they do view being deaf as a deficit. Kind of self defeating. They don't see it this way because they actually do view "being deaf" as a deficit and so they are trying to "soften the blow." From the Deaf cultural perspective kind of ridiculous. Deaf people use Deaf person/people because they don't view being Deaf as a negative thing at all but rather as belonging to a beautiful and distinct culture with its own language, customs and ways of being.

Hope this helps..

Regards

Bill Newell

Answer 2

This is a sticky topic in the Deaf and hard of hearing community. It really depends who you are talking to/about. If you are talking to/about those who identify with the Deaf and hard of hearing community, then yes, they prefer to be called Deaf and hard of hearing (unless they specifically tell you otherwise). However, if you are talking to/with someone who only grew up in the hearing world, does not sign or only signs SEE, and does not identify with the Deaf and hard of hearing community more often than not they would prefer to be called hearing impaired or hard of hearing. I find it best to let each person identify themselves and follow their lead. But when I am talking about the people I work with as an interpreter, I am talking about the Deaf and hard of hearing world and as such use that term.

Answer 3

I would just like to add that I'm currently studying speech-language pathology and the field is very behind in it's inclusivity of the Deaf/HoH community. I recently had a teacher use a picture of the "I love you" handshape under the word "gesture" when specifying types of language output. If you're studying ASL, trust your knowledge! An entire field could be using "hearing impaired" but if the Deaf/HoH community is telling you not to, then listen to the people who actually represent that population rather than the ones who work with them. :)

However, there are always going to be people in any community that don't align with the current movements and activism. If you are ever doubtful of what to "call" someone and in a position where that kind of label is needed (like on a form or something) then simply ask them what they prefer. Some people with autism actually prefer "autistic" or even "asberger's" even though that diagnosis is no longer around. I would lean towards the current terminology to be safe, but definitely ask if you're unsure.