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[+] -27 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Just to clarify definitions that probably wouldn't be considered deafness, it would be an audio processing disorder. Ability to hear music but inability to process the words.

Deafness is "binary" in that it just means ones ability to hear sound or not. If you can hear sound even slightly then you just have a hearing impairment and are not deaf.

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  • [–] 31 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Deafness is commonly understood to include both total and partial hearing loss. Every major dictionary defines it this way. It might have a more precise meaning in some spheres (medical, etc), but in common English it is not binary the way you're suggesting.

    Merriam Webster: deaf

    Dictionary.com: deaf

    Cambridge English dictionary: deaf

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago

    No it really isn’t. The hard of hearing are considered deaf. There’s complete deafness, much like there’s complete blindness, but the fact that you’re calling it hearing impairment instead of hard of hearing indicates you aren’t as well versed in Deafness (not to be confused with deafness) as you think

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