I've been reading a number of interesting discussions about using appropriate terms to describe someone who has hearing loss. Here are some options:
- Hard of hearing
- Hearing impaired
- Hearing loss
- Deaf/deaf
- Profound Hearing Loss
- Hears with Cochlear Implants
I'm sure there are more. There were a number of adults arguing that they were not impaired and the term hearing impaired was offensive, especially when used in films such as "Closed Captioned for the Hearing Impaired." Some liked Deaf/deaf, but others argued they could hear with their technology and deaf brought with it a number of assumptions that they couldn't hear. Others say they have profound hearing loss, but unless you are talking with others "in the field," people don't know how to respond to this.
On this hearing journey, we've come to use "Lily hears with Cochlear Implants." Not right for everyone, but for now, it works for us.
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