Deafness

Deafness is partial or complete loss of hearing, ranging from difficulty detecting sounds to no usable hearing. It can be present from birth or acquired later, and may shape communication and sound perception.

Audiogram: A graph showing hearing thresholds across sound frequencies for each ear. Audiograms show which pitches are difficult to hear and how severe the loss is.
Hearing aid: An electronic device that amplifies and processes sound for a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids can improve access to sound when residual hearing can be usefully amplified.
Deaf culture: The shared languages, practices, histories, and identities of many Deaf communities. Many people understand deafness through cultural belonging as well as hearing status.
Hard of hearing: A term commonly used by people with partial hearing loss who may use spoken language, sign language, or both. It distinguishes some people with partial hearing loss from those who identify as Deaf.
Conductive hearing loss: Hearing loss caused by impaired sound transmission through the outer or middle ear. This is one major type, distinguished by where sound transmission is disrupted.
Cochlear implant: An implanted device that stimulates the auditory nerve electrically to provide sound information. Cochlear implants may help some people with severe hearing loss who gain limited benefit from hearing aids.
Deaf identity: A personal or collective identification connected to deafness, often shaped by language and community. Identity can differ from medical descriptions of hearing thresholds or impairment.
Audism: Discrimination or prejudice that privileges hearing people and spoken communication over Deaf people and signed languages. It names social bias that can compound the effects of inaccessible communication.
Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss caused by damage or dysfunction in the inner ear or auditory nerve. This type involves the sensory or neural pathway rather than sound conduction.
Sign language: A natural language expressed through visual-manual forms, with its own grammar and vocabulary. Sign languages provide full communication without relying on hearing or spoken speech.

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