My wife is an ASL teacher and has many Deaf friends. The reality is that most people outside of that community view being deaf or hard of hearing as a disability which changes the way you are treated.
Most people do not want to advertise this fact as a loud and overt option. Especially for children who will be teased or young adults who are out trying to meet people, get jobs, etc. It is difficult to understand these social stigmas but researching people who are hard of hearing in your community should explain why this is, and likely will remain the case.
A great example of this is people who see a hearing aid may start to talk slower to a deaf person. In reality, they could read your lips if you spoke normally, but this “Special” attention winds up making it harder to communicate. The other party not realizing you are deaf in this case is a benefit.