The deaf and hard of hearing community is very diverse, differing greatly on the cause and degree of hearing loss, age at the onset, educational background, communication methods, and how they feel about their hearing loss. Deaf, or hard of hearing. The members of this group have inherited their sign language, use it as a primary means of communication among themselves, and hold a set of beliefs about themselves and their connection to the larger society. The richness of their sign language affords them the possibilities of insight, invention, and irony.
People lose their hearing in various ways.
A hard of hearing person, in audiological terms, may have a mild to moderate hearing loss. That's possible, too. That's a delicate tightrope-balancing act, but it too is possible. They can choose to join or to ignore it. For everyone with a hearing loss, it is a matter of deciding whether to treat it as an audiological perspective or as a cultural lifestyle.