Are you deaf?

Let me start by saying that the expression "are you deaf?" is very offensive to a person who is hard of hearing. Few people use "are you a retard?", "are you disabled?", "are you am amputee?" although I have heard people saying "are you blind?" with more frequency than I would like.  Especially in traffic.

The fact is, that although some people might think twice about calling somebody disabled, retard or blind, to jokingly call somebody's attention to something, using "are you deaf" is rather common.

It offends somebody who has lost some of his hearing, because it demeans us, it makes us feel subpersons. I am not going deaf because I want or enjoy it. And I take strong exception to people using deafness almost as a curse word.

So, next time you are about to say, "are you deaf?", when somebody does not acknowledge something you have said, for whatever reason, think twice.

Losing one's hearing is not a piece of cake, and in fact, it can occur to anybody. Including you!

The first post

The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences as somebody who is little by little losing his hearing in one of the ears. At times, I might take things lightly, and I hope no one gets offended. It is my view that self-deprecating humor is a healthy thing.

At other times, I might sound down. Which is perfectly normal. Hearing loss is not an easy thing, it is a disability, and it can affect you personally and professionally, as most disabilities do. Most telling, though, a lot of people treat you as if you are either dummy or a person without manners, for it is very difficult to detect a person who has a hearing impairment, as opposed to a blind or wheelchair bound individual. In other words, we do not get much sympathy.

I hope it helps those who are going through the same problem, and enlightens those who do not have the problem