Hard of Hearing and Hearing Impaired

[Dan Parvaz]

Bencie,

I don't have access to the DCPSE here, but I'm willing to bet that anyone at
UCL does :-) ... you should be able to see the change in relative frequency
of "hearing-impaired" (vis-a-vis, say, "deaf" or "deaf-mute") over the past
few decades. I have a gut feeling for what it might be, but knowing me my
feeling could just as easily be the Chicken Korma I had for lunch...

-Dan

On 9/15/07, Grushkin, Donald A <grushkind at csus.edu> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I'm preparing a couple of articles for publication, and would like some
> help if possible.  I am attempting to determine the origin or first usage of
> the terms "hard of hearing" and "hearing impaired".  I have been unable to
> locate any sources that point to when these terms first were used, or who
> originated them.
>
> For hard of hearing, I am making the assertion that this term likely began
> around the beginning of the 20th century, when modern electronic audiology
> made it possible to more precisely determine individuals' hearing
> ability.  Prior to this period, I have found references to "mutes",
> "semi-mutes", "only deaf" and "semi-deaf", but no "hard of hearing".  I do
> suspect, however, that "hard of hearing" might have been in folk usage prior
> to the 1900s to describe older persons who were beginning to lose their
> hearing.
>
> For hearing impaired, I have the general feeling that this term began
> around the 1970s to 1980s as a "politically correct" alternative to "deaf"
> or "hard of hearing".  Who started the term or exactly when, I do not know,
> but thinking back, I cannot recall seeing the use of 'hearing impaired"
> before this, but then again, I might have been too young then to really know
> or notice.
>
> So, can anyone provide me with sources supporting or refuting my
> perceptions?    My apologies here to those of you who are seeing this
> cross-posted.
>
> --Don Grushkin
>
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