© 2008
Polite, Political or Poppycock
by Pearl Feder L.C.S.W
Who decides what word is politically correct to define “people who have a hearing loss?” Do “they” have something like the Nielsen ratings or is there a specific media research team that specializes in disabilities/handicaps that asks an audience which word is politically correct?
Obviously, they haven't called me for my opinion . Do the powers that be, contact the HLAA for a vote? Or are they contacting the Deaf/deaf organizations? So, who decided that "hearing impaired" is not a politically correct phrase and that "hard of hearing" is the polite way to go? Some people will even say that "hard of hearing" is not politically correct.
Let’s look at the definition of impaired.
According to The American Heritage dictionary, the word impaired means “To cause to diminish, as in strength, value, or quality: an injury that impaired my hearing”
According to Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, the word impaired means “being in a less than perfect or whole condition: as a handicapped or functionally defective — often used in combination HEARING-impaired.”
My hearing is definitely impaired. I, as a whole person, am not impaired but my ears are. I don’t see anything wrong with being called hearing impaired. However, I do have a problem with Webster’s referring to us as less than perfect. It sort of makes me feel as though we’re under some sort of regime where everyone is compared and held up to the standards of a stepford wife.
I think each of us needs to be comfortable with whatever phrase we choose. Whether it’s hard of hearing (though my ears are not hard), hearing challenged (my ears are always up for a challenge), hearing disabled (am I capable of enabling my ears?) or whatever words one chooses. YOU and I are the ones with the loss of hearing and we have to feel comfortable saying, I HAVE A HEARING LOSS, I AM HEARING IMPAIRED or I AM HARD OF HEARING. Because as you know, whether you’re new to hearing loss or you’ve spent the majority of your life having trouble hearing, you are confronted daily with having to explain or inform people of your situation and how to communicate with you.
The next time there's a survey requesting info on choice words to be used for our impairment, would someone please send me a copy. I would hate to find out that we have been changed to delinguently abled or worse, functionally inaudible.
Just remember, our hearing is diminished, not our minds.