Why I ask?  Many times, I was asked “you deaf?”  Yes, sure I am deaf.  Other time, unfortunately I also was asked “you hearing?”  Haha but true!  I born profiund deaf and had total communication before ASL comes out.   I used oral with sign language but NO voice at all.   The deaf people thought I am hearing.  They should know I uses the sign language, of course obvious I am deaf.   The hearing people knew I am deaf and whisper a lot so no one understand me.  Many times, I was asking to interpreted for them, I would be totally lost! 

Why I am write here?  Lot of people thought all hard of hearing are HEARING like them.   I would say, “no, not all.”  Because of their life as deaf in their growing up social with deaf people and they considered themselves deaf too.   Most of people who are hearing loss in late year, can be hard of hearing because they knew how sound like or use the regular phase in their life.   

Let’s say about cochlear implants users who has been deaf at born and still DEAF.  They not aware how sound like or use the regular phase in their life.  They had speech therapy to understand them.  The people who has hearing loss in late years, will quality have CI because they can hear again.  We, deaf adults not like the idea for deaf kids to have CI in earlier years (in born to teenagers years) because the kids would not have good life in the future.  I mean they can’t play in rough sports or careless accident happens in earlier years.   You know how kids careless accidents happens offen, right?  That is not good idea. 

I know few deaf adults who had kids who also deaf and put the CI.

We were told that adults who has CI when they were kids, “they are not happy with their life because they can’t play like any kids.”  They are very self-conscious.   So will you ask them, “you deaf?”   Yes with their face smiled.

– DW