You may be surprised to discover that in fact there is no such thing as being "legally deaf." Unlike people who are legally blind, hearing-impaired individuals cannot be classified as being officially deaf. However, there are differnt severeties of hearing impairment as the following audiograms will show.
All audiograms and symbols from Hand in Hand: Essentials of Communication and Orientation and Mobility for Your Students Who Are Deaf-Blind Volume II, edited by Kathleen Mary Huebner, Jeanne Glidden Pricketter, Therese Rafalowski Welch, and Elga Joggee, § 1995, 144 pp. Reproduced with permission from the American Foundation fo the Blind, 11 Pen Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001.
