Tuesday, December 4, 2007

HOH vs Deaf

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know you and you don't know me. However, I fully agree with what you said. I too wear hearing aids and been labeled as HoH. Also, I speak very well, another false assumption that I can hear well. Without my hearing aids, I am very deaf. I am with you in every sign you said. I am Deaf, use ASL and proud.

LaRonda said...

Love your energy and Deaf pride! Nice clarification about your identity.

At the same time, it's perfectly OK for people to identify themselves as Hard of Hearing if that is how they feel.

We are all made of the same stuff - one person's identity is no less than another. We are all as lovely as the moon and stars!

Peace.

~ LaRonda

Frances11 said...

Hey ASL MUSIC,
oh yes, You are Deaf power and I am Deaf power. of course, ASL and Deaf are Champ. excuse me,my wife is full hearing but She know how ASL very very good because I am full Deaf and strong ASL.
Thanks for sharing and Thumbs up!!!
Bobby Lopez.....

Deb Ann and Hannah said...

You're cool!

DEAF champ! Hearing aides are killing me and I can't wear it. It gives me headaches. I was forced to wear hearing aides until I graduated. I threw my hearing aches away and I am proud to be DEAF. Many Deafies like to wear hearing aides, but it's not for me.

Anonymous said...

You ain't shitting me?

Just kidding, hahaha!

Yeah, I know and agree. Plus, there had been many hoh who actually think of themselves as Deaf anyway, too.

Deaf Woman said...

Hey BAD, you're absolutely right about this as it's happened to me many times as it did for others like you. I just ignore them when they claim I'm HoH, as they will realize (or have realized) that I'm truly deaf when I don't wear hearing aid. I hear sounds and recognize some distinct sounds because these sounds are repetitive in everyday life.
What I've been labeled by an audiologist is I'm "profoundly" deaf, so I think that's what you are...profoundly deaf. For some that are more deaf than us, useless with hearing aids (like with my right ear, useless with hearing aid), they're labeled as "stoned" deaf.

There are many levels or stages of deafness...so who cares how deaf or hearing we are...as long as we know and use ASL, then we're considered a part of Deaf community. For those who dare not use ASL, they have identity problem/issue and need to come to terms to accept themselves that it's okay to be a Deaf person.

Another example of issues like how deaf we are...black people have argued among themselves of how black they are or if some are light skinned, they're labeled "white"...this is ridiculous and causes unnecessary low self esteem feelings. Know what I'm saying?

My best bet is if they tell you you're HoH, take off your hearing aid, tell them to yell as loud as they can...see if they'll change their minds and say, Hey, you're f...ing deaf!!!! Lol!

deafworldchamp said...

It's funny how you say when people see deaf people wears hearing aids and labeled hoh. I tend to make fun of them, but i dont judge them that way. I used to wear hearing aids, but it doesnt make me hoh! i m profound deaf! I dont wear them anymore, but i do wear it when i m in mood to hear the beats of music from my computer once a while. ofc, deaf is champp! my user name says all!

Anonymous said...

I, too, use hearing aids. I, too, listen to music. But, I can't listen to music without lyrics. I, too, memorize lyrics to hear music better. I cannot use the phone at all, even with hearing aids. So, yes, I'm DEAF. Just because I have hearing aids, doesn't mean that I'm hard of hearing. I agree with you 110% :-)

Anonymous said...

I agree with you what you explain to me really same as me i can hear the drum and quitar and horn but not really complete words cause too fast to catch words whoa, when i was young age and i love listen music favorate zztop but i lost 5 db from hearing aids 35 fall down 40 db because i love loud music cause sometime battery ran low and turn hearing aids volume all the way up. sometime people think i am hearing but i am complete deaf where i been born deaf and hearing aids really damage db by loud music but i can sing with asl that where i learn from mssd and feel joy until out of world get old and lots of rang in my ears so i turn off hearing aids said sh sh i want be deaf quiet time but still ring person inside is sing in my ear but in church hearing sing and it make powerful angel join sing with us while i wear hearing aids holly of angel right now i am complete deaf and turn off music and i can hear inside "deaf air music asl" blow in my ears rest of life that i am proud of who am i being deaf. that where anykind of blow speaker music i can "feel beat air music" and mind of asl my own sing. does couple deaf people feel same as i do ? i bet couple said that there is a "air wave music "without hearing aids does it make more deaf proud. let us sing in our "deaf silent air music asl" wink

Beaux Arts de Boutjean said...

I agree completely with you. I see nothing wrong for deaf people to wear hearing aids. Albeit my being profoundly deaf, I wear one to hear siren, door-knocking, dog-barking. I do hear sounds, but I cannot understand any spoken word.

I, too, appreciate music. Again, I am unable to understand what is played or to identify a composer whose whose music I play. All I have to do is to look in the sheet music that shows a name of a composer. Then I would have to follow the notes and measure each note.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you AND THANK YOU
I felt same way as you felt. I have received some nice and nasty comments about me wearing my hearing aids. Saying, you are HOH, obivously, not DEAF.
About music, Yes, you are right. It takes a lot of times to practice to be able to hear or recongize the lyrics. Its not that easy.
With hearing aids or Not, I am DAMN proud to be DEAF! Thank you for making this clear up.

DeafRochLez said...

I stopped wear hearing aids since college. It doesn't help me at all. My family kept pushing me about using hearing aid again. I refused until they finally gave up.
Yes, you are Deaf! I know you.. Same me Deaf Champ! heehee! :)

Laurie

Anonymous said...

I know ur feeling about, when ppl see me with hearing aids, they assume i will understand every word spoken by a hearing person, but i can't understand spoken words coming out of people but there are few ppl that i know very well like my mom and some of my family and my friends, i can understand their spoken language but it still very hard so i do try read lips to help more. with music, i cannot hear unless i use my hearing aid and even with hearing aid i cannot understand or hear the words spoken by those singers. so i just hear the beats and the noise.

Anonymous said...

Totally agreed with you there! My hearing friends introduced me to their families and friends as "DEAF" Even my boss at Wal-Mart often steps in to speak for me with customers telling them I am deaf and can't speak well. I am not ashamed but it is not fun to see their pity looks. My boss would just ignore them and smile at me. She knows I am hard-worker deaf or not. It is just sad a lot of hearing people don't really understand. Not even my own father! Ugh. Smile.