Hearing Impairment

A hearing impairment signifies a full or partial loss of the ability to detect or discriminate sounds due to an abnormality associated with the physiology, anatomy or function of the ear. A hearing impairment can be described in terms of the:

• Degree of a hearing impairment, ranging from a mild hearing impairment to a profound hearing impairment, and
• Type of hearing impairment – permanent (sensori-neural), not permanent (conductive) or a combination of both (mixed loss).

A student with hearing impairment may use speech and/or sign to communicate. Some students who use sign prefer to be referred to as Deaf as they identify with the unique culture of the Deaf Community and perceive their deafness as a difference, not a disability.

(Reference: http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/learning/disability/generalinfo/hearing/what-is-hi.html )