polite, professional way to say deaf?

[lola7]

If I want to refer to a patient who cannot hear and uses sign language in my application, what would be the most appropriate, professional way to do this?
Would saying 'deaf' be ok? or perhaps "hard of hearing"?

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[Goro]

Hearing impaired

 

[lola7]

@Goro I read that hearing impaired draws attention to the fact that it’s an impairment - something that can be taken offensively. I originally used this too.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

limited instead of impaired, perhaps? "with hearing loss"?

Check National Association of the Deaf or Hearing Loss Association of America.

NAD - Community and Culture – Frequently Asked Questions

www.nad.org

 

[lola7]

According to them “deaf” would best fit someone needing to use sign language. But “deaf” sounds really judgmental.

 

[LunaOri]

“Deaf” is not judgmental. “Profound hearing loss” is also okay.

 

[cj_cregg]

People in the community usually say deaf (with a capital D if referring to a person/people, e.g. the Deaf community, a Deaf woman) or hard of hearing. The word "deaf" is not judgmental in and of itself, it is an accurate description of their condition, and many Deaf folks are proud to be part of that community and to identify as such. The link above from NAD does a great job of explaining appropriate and inappropriate terminology.

 

[Goro]

@Goro I read that hearing impaired draws attention to the fact that it’s an impairment - something that can be taken offensively. I originally used this too.

It's a phrase, not a pejorative. Keep that in mind

Deaf is not a pejorative either.

For 2022-2023 in Pubmed, there are 371 article titles with the word "deaf" in them.

Changing the English language doesn't make the condition go away, either.

 

[Purple&Gold8]

As a person with a Deaf family member, the people who identify with the Deaf community find it disrespectful to use the term "hearing impaired" when in fact they are deaf, so please use the term "Deaf" when referring to the patient as it seems they identify within the Deaf community by communicating withsign.

 

[lola7]

As a person with a Deaf family member, the people who identify with the Deaf community find it disrespectful to use the term "hearing impaired" when in fact they are deaf, so please use the term "Deaf" when referring to the patient as it seems they identify within the Deaf community by communicating withsign.

Ah I see. I will indeed use "Deaf". Thanks!

 

[LindaAccepted]

@Goro I read that hearing impaired draws attention to the fact that it’s an impairment - something that can be taken offensively. I originally used this too.

"a patient who experiences hearing impairment."

 

[Isoval]

Yes.

The word is “deaf”.

 

[cj_cregg]

"a patient who experiences hearing impairment."

I respectfully disagree with this recommendation! As others have said, the idea of being "impaired" is not something that many Deaf folks are fond of.

Also, person-first language is actually kind of controversial in some communities! A lot of Deaf people see being deaf as an important piece of their identity and are perfectly fine, or even prefer, to be called a Deaf person rather than a person who is deaf. Same goes for a lot of autistic people/people with autism. That said, like any cultural norm, obviously there is variation from person to person and individuals may have different preferences.

In summary...this stuff is complicated! There are a lot of acceptable ways to phrase these things. I'd encourage writers to read articles on the topic of writing about disability and other minorities that are written by people who are part of that community. If you're talking about a specific individual, ask them how they prefer to be referred to.

 

[LindaAccepted]

I respectfully disagree with this recommendation! As others have said, the idea of being "impaired" is not something that many Deaf folks are fond of.

Also, person-first language is actually kind of controversial in some communities! A lot of Deaf people see being deaf as an important piece of their identity and are perfectly fine, or even prefer, to be called a Deaf person rather than a person who is deaf. Same goes for a lot of autistic people/people with autism. That said, like any cultural norm, obviously there is variation from person to person and individuals may have different preferences.

In summary...this stuff is complicated! There are a lot of acceptable ways to phrase these things. I'd encourage writers to read articles on the topic of writing about disability and other minorities that are written by people who are part of that community. If you're talking about a specific individual, ask them how they prefer to be referred to.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My post highlighted one organization's position on the terminology, so I wanted to make sure those on this thread review it and can provide feedback. It is not definitive. There is a lot of discussion ever since the movie Coda on this topic. I would look through Doctors with Disabilities resources on this topic.

CODA | Rotten Tomatoes

Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family -- a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her...

www.rottentomatoes.com

 

[Purple&Gold8]

I respectfully disagree with this recommendation! As others have said, the idea of being "impaired" is not something that many Deaf folks are fond of.

Also, person-first language is actually kind of controversial in some communities! A lot of Deaf people see being deaf as an important piece of their identity and are perfectly fine, or even prefer, to be called a Deaf person rather than a person who is deaf. Same goes for a lot of autistic people/people with autism. That said, like any cultural norm, obviously there is variation from person to person and individuals may have different preferences.

In summary...this stuff is complicated! There are a lot of acceptable ways to phrase these things. I'd encourage writers to read articles on the topic of writing about disability and other minorities that are written by people who are part of that community. If you're talking about a specific individual, ask them how they prefer to be referred to.

this!