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Deaf, deaf, hearing impaired or hard of hearing?

There are several different terms used to describe people who have varying degrees or kinds of hearing loss. Often people make the mistake of using these terms to mean the same thing, but they actually have specific and different meanings.

Deaf Australia (formerly known as Australian Association of the Deaf) is the peak body representing the Deaf community in Australia. It defines the most appropriate common terminology:
   
Deaf (with a capital D) is used to describe those who use Australian Sign Language (Auslan) to communicate, and who identify as members of the signing Deaf community. These people may also identify themselves as "culturally Deaf." They are more likely to have been born deaf or to have become deaf early in life.
 
deaf (with a small d) is a more general term used to describe the physical condition of not hearing, and also to describe people who are physically deaf but do not identify as members of the signing Deaf community.
 
hearing impaired is the term usually preferred by those who have acquired a hearing loss in late childhood or adulthood, or who have a mild or moderate hearing loss. These people usually communicate using speech, lip-reading and residual hearing (often amplified by hearing aids).
 
hard of hearing is now considered by many to be a more appropriate term than "hearing impaired" and is increasingly being seen as the correct terminology.
 

On its website, Deaf Australia has more extended guidelines.  To find out more, click here.

Deaf Education Network’s Basic (Community) Auslan courses provide numerous handouts containing summaries of the latest information about Auslan and Deafness awareness.  Below are a few examples that will give you more information:

To find out more about Deafness, click here.

Shhh Australia (a leading organisation in NSW for people who are hard of hearing) has a series of Information Sheets which will provide more information about being hard of hearing (hearing impaired). To see a list of these Information Sheets, click here.