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While texting with my friend today, we talked about school applications and playing the "deaf card". She said that she considered herself "culturally Deaf" but used "hearing loss" in her essays. I responded, "That makes sense, it's politically correct." She asked why. I thought and replied, "Well, I'm not considered "hearing impaired" and so if someone wants to talk about me, they can use "hearing loss" or "deaf" because I do have a hearing loss." She thought I was right.

I meant, how can you call a severe/profound deaf person "hearing impaired" when their hearing is just gone, or nearly gone? It's not like I'm an old lady who is losing her hearing.

The deaf and hard of hearing students at my university organization hate our name because it says "Hearing Impaired" as part of it. But unfortunately, this organization was founded some time ago and we have donor funding attached to it, so we just abbreviate it.

Just say it. I'm deaf. I have profound hearing loss. How is it "impaired"? "Impaired" signifies some form of weakness. Well, what weakness? It was never there. "Weak" suggests some form of activity. I have no activity in my cochlea, where the problem is. (I'm sure my ear drum and the anvil and all are still working just fine.)

There's also a difference in emphasis on how to call someone deaf/Deaf. I think if you emphasize deaf, it means that the person is DEAF, as in fluent in ASL, part of the Deaf culture, and is, of course, deaf. If you don't, then it's just a disability. I think. I mean, that's how I communicate the difference between the little d and the big D.

This week, the class is doing a midterm in ASL. I'm not doing it. I might do the final exam, just to see where I am and how I did in the class. During the review session, we all learned more because the teacher used her voice so she was able to explain things that she couldn't before (and we had ALWAYS wondered). She's so good in making sure I'm included by correcting my signs in front of everyone. There are 5 different signs for "early" and she explained that this one sign is common in Michigan, but showed me the sign I should use when I'm in Rochester. WTF. Okay. It's the one I like anyway. One of the sign is just finger-spelling it while making a little circle in the air. It's damn hard. We have to practice a lot on our own. When you see it in action, it looks pretty cool. But what's tricky about it is controlling your pinky so it doesn't look like you're making a "I Love You" sign after you fingerspell the "R". The "I Love You" sign consists a blend of I, L, and Y, with the thumb, index finger, and pinky out and the middle two fingers down.

I am so excited to try my skills with my friend who I'm just speaking of above.