Unicorn Roots

It’s Complicated

Starting with a popular topic these days, let’s jump right in with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex, lifelong developmental disorder characterized by a wide range of social, communication, and behavioral difficulties and differences. These differences affect how those of us on the spectrum interact with our surroundings and other people. It is estimated that around 2% of US adults have ASD, with males being around four times more likely than females to receive an official diagnosis. Officially, the CDC states that around 1 in 54 US children have an ASD diagnosis. Though some may claim that “certain children recover from ASD,” autism is a lifelong condition, and individuals often continue to experience significant sensory sensitivities (Khalid, 2025). It’s also important to note that there are very few reliable statistics on ASD in relation to queer identities. Most of the studies that I’ve found refer to their subjects’ natal sex, rather than their gender identity.

Another familiar topic in the realm of disability is blindness. Defining vision loss and blindness is more complicated than many people realize. To be considered legally blind, an individual must have vision that prevents them from seeing clearly beyond six meters, translating to roughly 20/200 vision in US terms. Alternatively, a person may be considered legally blind if their field of vision is less than 20º in diameter, even if their central vision is perfectly intact. This vision loss may be congenital, progressive, and/or the result of illness or injury. Some examples can include a physical difference in the eye, macular degeneration, diabetes, or many other conditions may lead to illness, injury, or a progressive condition. Although vision loss can occur at any age, those over 65 are more likely to experience it (Khalid, 2025).

A common misconception is that blindness is an all-or-nothing disability. While it is true that blind and visually impaired individuals may need mobility aids, such as guide dogs and/or white canes, blindness does not necessarily mean that there’s a complete absence of vision. Low vision simply means that the individual’s visual impairment significantly interferes with daily activities. Some people may use large print, others may be able to see images at a distance or in their direct line of sight. Even the causes of vision loss are as diverse as their effects, ranging from uncorrected refractive issues to macular degeneration, glaucoma, trachoma, and many more (Rutgers-New Brunswick, 2025).

As with blindness, deafness is also not an all-or-nothing disability. There are several different types of hearing loss, each with different causes. Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds are physically prevented from passing through the outer and/or middle ear to the inner ear, and it’s often treatable with medicine and/or surgery. Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by a malfunction in the structures of the inner ear or in the nerves that process sound. A combination of these types of hearing loss is called mixed hearing loss. Going deeper, auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder is a type of hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear and/or internal nerves, preventing the brain from processing sound. It’s also important to remember that hearing loss can have many causes. Congenital hearing loss alone can result from certain infections during pregnancy, low birth weight, birth asphyxia (or lack of oxygen at birth), misuse of drugs or medications, and many other factors (Rutgers-New Brunswick, 2025).

It’s also important to remember certain cultural factors here. The terms hearing loss and deafness can also refer to any significant reduction in hearing. Many deaf people use a sign language to communicate, while others use lip reading either as their main method of communication or in addition to a sign language like American Sign Language (ASL). Like vision loss, an individual may be born deaf, or their hearing loss may be acquired. This hearing loss may also be progressive or non-progressive (Khalid, 2025).

Unless you or someone you know is Deaf, you may also be unfamiliar with the difference between, and the importance of capitalizing the “D” here. The importance lies in matters of identity and community. When written with a lowercase “d”, deaf generally refers to hearing loss as an audiological or medical concept. This is a clinical term focusing on the diagnosis of conditions on a wide range of hearing impairments from mild to profound. Most often, you will hear and see this term used outside the Deaf community, or when specifically referring to a physical inability to hear (AccessiBe Inc., 2025).

In contrast, Deaf with a capital “D” generally refers to a cultural or personal identity, or to the Deaf community itself. This includes the experiences, social norms, and shared sign languages existing within the community. It also includes the clinical deafness of individuals. But it’s important to remember the added sense of community, identity, and pride that the capitalization of a letter brings with it (AccessiBe Inc., 2025). Even hearing people can appreciate the resilience and anonymity that this simple change in grammar carries.

It’s also important to remember that the choice of which spelling to use is often deeply personal to the individual experiencing deafness. The distinction is important wherever inclusivity is important, just like personal pronouns. Simply put, the lowercase “deaf” should be used when talking about the medical or general aspects of limited hearing, while the uppercase “Deaf” should be used when talking about cultural or community-centered aspects. It’s also important to remember that outside of a strictly clinical setting, “hearing impaired” is a deficiency. The terms “hard of hearing” and deaf are more neutral, much like “developmentally disabled” and neurodivergent (AccessiBe Inc., 2025). For example, my grandpa became deaf and started wearing hearing aids, while Deaf celebrity Nyle DiMarco grew up in the Deaf community. When in doubt, ask politely.

References

AccessiBe Inc. (2025). Deaf vs. deaf. accessiBe. https://accessibe.com/glossary/deaf-vs-deaf

Khalid, E. (2025). Sensory Disabilities — Type, Effects, and Treatment. NuPrisma. https://nuprisma.com/sensory-disabilities-types-effects-and-treatment/

Rutgers-New Brunswick (2025). Sensory Disabilities. Department of Kinesiology and Health. https://kines.rutgers.edu/dshw/disabilities/sensory/1061-sensory-disabilities