“So you’re hearing impaired?” “Hard of hearing,” I correct her, though I also dislike this preferred terminology. It feels so medical and outdated, more suited for the elderly than for someone as young as I am. There’s also a misconception among hearing people that these terms mean my hearing loss isn’t significant and that simply shouting could do the trick, which is far from accurate. Therefore, I primarily use “hard of hearing” only when I’m worried about not being “deaf enough” to use “Deaf.” Because my hearing falls short of a profound ninety decibels, some might argue that the severe
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