The terms ‘Deaf’, ‘deaf’, and ‘hard of hearing’ refer to different levels of hearing loss and can be used to describe an individual’s hearing status. These terms can also be used to describe a person’s cultural identity, as well as their relationship to the Deaf community and Deaf culture.
- ‘Deaf’ refers to individuals who are unable to hear or who have very limited hearing. These individuals may rely on other forms of communication, such as British sign language (BSL) or written language, to communicate. Figures from the British Deaf Association suggest that 151,000 people use BSL in the UK. Some Deaf individuals identify as part of the Deaf community and may consider Deaf culture to be a central part of their identity. The capitalisation is significant and is communicated as ‘big D Deaf’ in speech and sign. Members of the Deaf community do not necessarily view deafness as a disability.
- ‘deaf’ (deaf with a lower case ‘d’ ) is often used to describe individuals who are unable to hear (severe to profound hearing loss), but who do not necessarily identify with Deaf culture or the Deaf community.
- ‘Hard of hearing’ (HOH) refers to individuals who have some degree of hearing loss, but who are able to hear to some extent. A hard of hearing person may have had a hearing loss since childhood, or have acquired it later on in life. The majority of hard of hearing people communicate using speech. These individuals may use hearing aids or other assistive devices or lipreading to communicate and may or may not identify with Deaf culture or the Deaf community.
It’s important to note that these terms are not mutually exclusive and that an individual may identify with more than one of these labels depending on their circumstances and preferences.
Further Reading:
- Dictionary
- Sign Language