Hearing loss is greatly misunderstood even though it affects one in ten Canadians at some point in their life.
Myths:
Facts:
One of the most important facts about hearing loss is that while it is treatable, it is not curable. Hearing aids, hearing implants, smart listening devices, apps, and other technologies are all able to mitigate the effects of hearing loss but cannot fully restore hearing.
Words describing deafness and hearing loss that are generally accepted are as follows:
The most common phrases people prefer to use to describe their hearing loss are:
The most common phrases people dislike being used are:
Myths:
- If you are deaf, you cannot speak
- If you wear a hearing aid or have a cochlear implant, you can hear perfectly
- If you are deaf, you are not very bright
- If you speak, you cannot be deaf
- All culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people are good speechreaders.
- All culturally Deaf, oral deaf and deafened people know a signed language.
- There is one universal sign language.
- Speech and language are the same thing.
Facts:
One of the most important facts about hearing loss is that while it is treatable, it is not curable. Hearing aids, hearing implants, smart listening devices, apps, and other technologies are all able to mitigate the effects of hearing loss but cannot fully restore hearing.
- Many factors are involved in the success of speechreading. People with hearing loss are not instinctively better speechreaders.
- Culturally Deaf people know and use a signed language while only some deafened and hard of hearing people know and use a signed language. Many people with hearing loss do not know a signed language.
- Some deaf individuals have clear and modulated speech. This does not preclude them from having a hearing loss or being deaf.
- There are over 100 signed languages in the world. They are as distinct from each other as the world’s spoken languages are distinct from one another.
- There is a critical distinction between language and how we produce or articulate language. In spoken language, gestures of the vocal cords, the mouth, and the tongue, etc. are used to “produce” language. In signed language, gestures of the hands, the body, and face, etc. are used to “produce” language. Language itself is something of the mind (or the brain). It can be used to think about things, plan arguments, and even practice telling a joke, etc., without ever being articulated in speech or sign.
- According to Statistics Canada, more than 3.21 million Canadians experience some form of hearing loss: a number equivalent to one in ten. An estimated 6 of every 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss, with others developing a hearing loss through their school years.
- Around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss (1), and 34 million of these are children.
- It is estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people will have disabling hearing loss.
- Hearing loss may result from genetic causes, complications at birth, certain infectious diseases, chronic ear infections, the use of particular drugs, exposure to excessive noise, and aging.
- People with hearing loss benefit from early identification; use of hearing aids, cochlear implants and other assistive devices; captioning and sign language; and other forms of educational and social support.
Words describing deafness and hearing loss that are generally accepted are as follows:
- Deafened – people who were born with hearing and later lost much/all of their hearing.
- Hard of hearing – people who have lost some but not all hearing.
- deaf (lower case ‘d’) – people who have hearing loss; they may be born deaf or become deaf. They mix well in the hearing world and may communicate orally and be users of sign language.
- Deaf (upper case ‘D’) refers to people who are full members of the deaf community and who communicate almost exclusively with sign language.
- Hearing loss, hearing impaired – anyone with any level of hearing loss.
- Acquired hearing loss – people who were born with hearing and later lost some/all hearing.
- Acquired profound hearing loss – people who were born with hearing and later lost a significant amount or all of their hearing.
The most common phrases people prefer to use to describe their hearing loss are:
- ‘I’m hard of hearing’
- ‘I have a hearing loss’
- ‘My hearing’s not so good’
- ‘I’m moderately deaf’
- ‘I am totally deaf’
The most common phrases people dislike being used are:
- ‘I have hearing difficulties’
- ‘I am hard of hearing’
- ‘I have a hearing impairment’
- ‘I have a hearing loss’
- ‘I am deafened’
