<p>Should or Can I use the fact that I am hearing impaired a a college "hook"?</p>
<p>I did! I have a mild to severe hearing loss and it has affected my life greatly, I wear hearing aids. For some schools I used it as an essay topic, others I put it in the additional info section. I got into one of my first choice schools. I talked about how it made me see everyone equally and how I have overcame my hearing loss and how it makes me unique. I personally thinks it counts as a hook. Being hearing impaired is not very common.</p>
<p>Please be advised that the term, “hearing impaired” is unacceptable. Here is the explanation:Plea</p>
<p>The term “Hearing Impaired” is a technically accurate term much preferred by hearing people, largely because they view it as politically correct. In the mainstream society, to boldly state one’s disability (e.g., deaf, blind, etc.) is somewhat rude and impolite. To their way of thinking, it is far better to soften the harsh reality by using the word “impaired” along with “visual”, “hearing”, and so on. “hearing-impaired” is a well-meaning word that is much-resented by deaf and hard of hearing people.</p>
<p>While it’s true that their hearing is not perfect, that doesn’t make them impaired as people. Most would prefer to be called Deaf, Hard of Hearing or deaf when the need arises to refer to their hearing status, but not as a primary way to identify them as people (where their hearing status is not significant).</p>
<p>Hope that you and your people respect by refusing to use the outdated and offensive term.</p>
<p>Not quite sure who “you people” includes, but as the parent of a child born deaf, the term “hearing impairment” accurately describes his condition and is in no way considered “outdated” or “offensive.”</p>
<p>And yes, his hearing impairment was part of several of his college essays this past year.</p>
<p>A “hook” is something that colleges feel they must have in their student body. Consequently, being hearing impaired isn’t a hook.</p>
<p>It could be an interesting essay topic particularly if your point isn’t to garner pity, but instead reflects how you overcame challenges or were inspired to help others.</p>
<p>Thanks guys! I think I can really write a good essay on how it inspired me to help other people! anyways, what were the challenges you guys talk about?</p>
<p>would colleges “favor” me in a way? i cant find the right word</p>
<p>I dont think it is a “hook” but it is an spect of your life you should mention. I dont think you should use your hearing impairment as a pressure point to accept you but I think you should write about how your hearing impariment has affected your life and your career choices. As a high school and undergrad student I completed ASL courses and I was really involved with the deaf/h-o-h culture (I am hearing). In my graduate essay I wrote about my involvement with the deaf community and how I anticapte working with the population in my life and how working with this population has affected my life and the way I look at the world. I got accepted everywhere I applied and professors even mentioned how much they enjoyed reading my essay.</p>
<p>^^^ “A “hook” is something that colleges feel they must have in their student body. Consequently, being hearing impaired isn’t a hook.”</p>
<p>Unfortunate, that. Sigh. But is it really true what you’re saying - are you saying that most college’s affirmative action, or whatever you want to call efforts at social engineering to level the playing field for disadvantaged groups, doesn’t extend to people with disabilities? Being an “URM” or first gen, or low income, is something that colleges actively recruit for in their efforts to increase “diversity”. But, people with severe disabilities, who are also often significantly educationally and economically disadvantaged, aren’t considered “must haves”? Makes me hurt for all the people with disabilities who aren’t “must haves”. Who else really knows better what it means to have overcome adversity than a person with a severe disability? Are there any colleges that do find it important to send their recruiters out to find the “diamonds in the rough” who happen to be severely disabled (blind/deaf/mobility impaired/etc.) Where are the colleges that send free plane tickets to the deaf and blind and disabled people for diversity open houses? </p>
<p>Sorry, end of rant. Sensitive topic - DH is a brilliant, but severely disabled person - hearing impaired and legally blind. But, no matter what anyone else thinks, he’s a must have in my book. Graduated from a state college, with much support from a loving family and not much support from the school (disabled student services wasn’t much of anything in his day).</p>
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<p>^^Ditto! But…I have an idea to do something about this inequality. ;)</p>
<p>^This is a thread from last fall.</p>
<p>@Ms. Ladybug: Man, I am so glad somebody finally mentioned that! It’s so frustrating that people can get an advantage because of their skin color, but not disability. The latter is so much more of an impairment than the former because it overlooks class, race, religion, and sexuality. Disability is a non-discriminatory problem and can do more damage than anyone can imagine possible. I’m still trying to clean up the damage mine has done, and it would be nice to get a little bit of credit. It would be especially nice to get a break when the state gives me lemon equipment or if I have a year with more than one hospitalization and/or surgical procedure. Plus, the break would be really nice since, if you ask me, an impaired body is more of an adversity than a cultural difference.</p>
<p>NovelNova: You are welcome, and I agree, you are absolutely correct, an impaired body is absolutely more of an adversity than a cultural difference. Unless perhaps, you happen to be a person who is already rich and famous before becoming disabled (e.g. Christopher Reeves), or the rare poster-child type person who everyone loves to believe does not suffer because he/she “overcame all odds despite his disability” (e.g. Stephen Hawking, Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder). Disability is an equal opportunity disenfranchiser. The vast majority of blind people in this country are unemployed.
Glassesarechic: so what if it’s an old thread? Is there no room on this board for new opinions on older conversations? Isn’t that what learning is about? Sheesh!</p>
<p>i’m also hearing impaired and wear hearing aids. though it was the subject of my common app essay, it was by no means a hook</p>
<p>I am deaf with cochlear implant (and so is wildcharterimage) but similar to the skin color, which isn’t exactly a hook to begin with, but rather a general indicator of economic and social situation, which deafness is also incredibly huge part of. </p>
<p>If you can show how deafness played a big challenge in your life (some people will object to the word challenge, in which case then don’t expect your deafness to help you as much) and how you overcame it, then rather because of your disability, it’s because of your character that a college will want you. :)</p>