Hard of Hearing or Hard to Process…or Does it really matter?

Some people say that being Hard of Hearing is defined by having the inability to hear well. That is true. It is also true that being Deaf goes beyond the ears and also includes communication with others, or a lack thereof. So, one could conclude that being Hard of Hearing not only emphasizes ones culture of being deaf and communicating in Sign Language, but also emphasizes ones difficulty to communicate or interpret speech orally. APD is the disorder of the brain but also effects ones ability to interpret speech orally, also because of common APD traits of Hyperacusis (overly sensitive hearing), there is a deficit in interpreting sound/difficulty hearing in noisy environments. In that case, would APD be considered Hard of Hearing (with maybe a side note explanation of symptoms, if necessary), or is APD just APD, no label…But does it really matter?

Let me know what you think!