I'm deaf.
biggrin I was born with a severe hearing loss and raised to be oral, but people can't tell I have a difference because I don't have deaf speech (and my literacy skills are strong). I wear hearing aids and am mainstreamed in a hearing private high school, where I'm the only deaf kid. It's tough. It's different. There are a lot of communication barriers. It's hard to make friends when I'm socially behind...so my parents are my best friends. Teachers have to wear a microphone for me that amplifies their voices and goes into my hearing aid receivers. I watch TV with closed captioning and have a CaptionCall phone (special thing I got for free!). I'm currently taking an American Sign Language (ASL) class at school, and we have Deaf events to go to and sign with a bunch of people in the Deaf Community. What a strange life I have to be caught between two worlds, the Deaf world and the Hearing world! Also, there are a ton of misconceptions about deaf people: for example, we're not dumb.
xd People also are led to believe deaf people can't play instruments, but we can. For those who don't use hearing devices, they rely on the vibrations. Hearing devices help people to hear and differentiate between the tones. I've been playing the piano for about eight years now and am in the Early Advanced level.
This is a Pantene commerical, but it advertises deafness, and I find it very emotional.
crying Deaf girl plays violin - Pantene Chrysalis commercial 
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