'hearing-impaired' originates from the combination of 'hearing' and 'impaired', where 'hearing' refers to the sense of perceiving sound and 'impaired' means weakened or damaged.

The term 'hearing-impaired' evolved from the need to describe individuals with partial or complete hearing loss in a more sensitive manner.

Initially, it meant 'having a reduced ability to hear', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.