The terminology surrounding hearing loss gets as weird as the assumptions people make about hearing loss.

The difference between being Deaf of Deaf culture, and being partially deaf or hard of hearing is important to understand.

Those of Deaf culture, most often people who were born deaf who use manual communication exclusively, believe that deafness as they experience it is their norm. They don't want to hear, and resent people who tell them they should want to hear. Therefore, they do not accept the term 'impaired', because they don't believe themselves to have an impairment.

Hard of hearing people experience hearing loss differently. Most want to hear and will do what they can to bring clear sound to their 'impaired or damaged' ears. We HH folks don't embrace our hearing loss as beautiful. While we can bring these populations together to work on common goals, it is next to impossible to expect complete collaboration. One groups solution to communication access is sign language. The other group's solution is technology that helps them hear. It just doesn't mesh very well. Yet, we can certainly respect each other's needs and opinions as we look for things we can work together on.

I hope you can find the support you need to get decent hearing aids that will help you.

@bookysue

The Deaf Culture people do not like it when we label ourselves deaf. We have been told to use the word “deaf” with a small “d” as opposed to a capital “D”. I have known and associated with many who were born deaf and also a lot of late deafened or hard of hearing people like myself. When I was learning sign language I had one woman in my group who disparaged finger spelling and actually turned her back on me in conversation. I have had only a few encounters with truly Deaf people but my sense is that they can be a very insular group. Those of us who have some sort of hearing loss can flounder when we have to identify ourselves. We have had this discussion before and I have personally found that using the terms “I read lips, please face me “ or in the case of mask wearing...”I read lips and need to use an app to see what you are saying” or something of that nature works well for me. I found that those particular words seem to decrease the stigma of hearing loss and many of the misconceptions about me including hard of hearing means dumb. Maybe it’s the fact that people think wow...this old broad uses apps or they are intrigued with the app.

I don’t like either of the words impaired or challenged... Are we visually impaired or challenged if we wear glasses? Anyway the people you are referring to haven’t walked in your shoes, Don’t let them say negative things to you....really they don’t have a clue but you can educate them. Such people can be very judgmental .....gets my dander up. And don’t be apologetic...ain’t your fault you can’t hear as well as they do....so don’t apologize and hang back. Had a woman say to me years ago with a real superior attitude .”You know they make state of the art hearing aids” No kidding Dick Tracy! I put her nose out of joint too...with a smile on my face.
Please don’t judge something you don’t know about.
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16 years for a hearing aid is phenomenal. I think the normal life expectancy is 5 years. Go get new ones and a hearing test too. And yes, you got an amplifier erroneously labeled as a hearing aid so no wonder your tinnitus increased. The advertisers are more careful today in making the distinction....might even be a law...I forget.

I don’t even know what discussion this is a part of so hope I didn’t stray in recipes or walking lol.

FL Mary