Deaf

The word deaf, can have very different meanings based on the background of the person speaking or the context in which the word is used. The term is commonly used to mean having profound hearing impairment, a physiological condition causing an inability to receive or process aural stimulation, i.e., sound.

Categories of deafness and hearing impairment

These categories may be overlapping. Deafness or hearing impairment may be:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Unilateral
• Pre-lingual
• Peri-lingual
• Post-lingual
• Partial
• Progressive
• Profound
• Limited (to tone)
• Tinnitus